


The Guardian

by FatimaAbbasRizvi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxious bby, Basilisks, Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Child Abuse, Elemental Magic, F/F, F/M, Gen, Gilderoy Lockhart is a fraud, HARRY POTTER IS AN ABUSED CHILD BECAUSE WHAT THE DURSELY'S DID WAS ABUSE, How Do I Tag, Hydra exists here lmao, I have no idea, I have no idea what I'm doing, I try to stay in Character, ITS A CROSS OVER, Implied/Referenced Abuse, JKR WAS JUST A SHITTY WRITER WHO DIDNT UNDERSTAND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ABUSE!, Listen up, M/M, MY OC BADASS!!, My OC is the bby, OC is Severus Snape's Sister's daughter, OC is a gryffindor, OC is an elemental, Once she grows up, People Change People, Quote: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good (Harry Potter), The Ford Angelia is a living thing now lmao, What Was I Thinking?, YEAH U GOT IT, anywas, hehe, its on discord, listen, no beta we die like cedric, she smol right now, take that in, this came to me while I was daydreaming, this has a playlist now, uncle severus snape, we have heads, we should use em, where am i going with this?, which is in confusion and panic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:22:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 88,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25642735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FatimaAbbasRizvi/pseuds/FatimaAbbasRizvi
Summary: Neptunia Black was weird.Weirdly smart, strangely emphatic, abnormally selfless, oddly determined and supernaturally...magical?This is her story as she discovers new worlds and protects the ones she cares for along the way. Will she go above and beyond and protect everyone?Will she become a guardian?Will she be a part of the Celestial Council and become THE guardian?More importantly, will she ever be enough?
Relationships: HUSH HUSH HUSH, HUUUUSHHH, look for hints
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. DISCLAIMER

** ALL THE CHARACTERS FROM THE HARRY POTTER UNIVERSE AND MARVEL UNIVERSE BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. CHARACTERS THAT I INTRODUCE BELONG TO ME. THE SLIGHTLY ALTERED PLOT BELONGS TO ME. THE ORIGINAL PLOT BELONGS TO THE RESPECTIVE OWNERS. I DO NOT WANT TO GET COPYRIGHTED SO PLEASE TAKE NOTE!! THANK YOU! **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, welcome to first ever fic.  
> Here's a link to my Discord Server, Cosmic Aisle: https://discord.gg/qXAR3ry  
> Feel free to drop by and chat! I'll be lurking around so feel free to ask questions!!!


	2. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreams and Nightmares plague people but they give hidden answers that one should accept.

A tawny owl sitting on a lampost of a quiet street called Privet Drive flies off delivering yet another letter though that is unknown to any normal person. The forest near the street has few critters moving around and giving its own unique sound of silence.

A mysterious old man dressed in purple robes steps out into the light and takes out a lighter. He clicks it and all the light present in the lamp posts fly out of it and disappear into the little lighter. The man walks forward as he puts the lighter away as he greets a tabby cat sitting quite stiffly on the wall.

"I should have known that you would be here...Professor McGonagall."

The cat meows and jumps, transforming mid-air into a human. The human is an old woman, dressed in emerald green robes. "Good evening, Professor Dumbledore...are the rumours true Albus?"

"I'm afraid so, Professor. The good, and the bad."

"And the children?"

"Hagrid is bringing them."

"Do you think it wise to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"

"Ah, Professor, I would trust Hagrid with my life."

A rumbling sound disturbs the peace of the night, they look up to see a headlight coming and finally a motorcycle lands on the ground. A large man with a bushy beard and hair and glittering beetle-like eyes. He takes off his goggles.

"ProfessorDumbledore, Sir. ProfessorMcGonagall."

"No problems, I trust, Hagrid?", Professor Dumbledore asked.

"No, sir. Little tyke fell asleep just as we were flying over Bristol. Heh. Try not to wake him. There ya go. She's been looking around and giggling all the time. Professor McGonagall? Here."

McGonagall looked towards Dumbledore, "Surely you aren't going to leave them with the muggles living here?! They are the worst imaginable!"

Dumbledore sighed, "They are the only family he has."

McGonagall sputtered in shock, "Just him?! Then where is the poor girl to go?"

"The new orphanage a block away. I believe it is quite empty at the moment."

"These kids are famous! There won't be a single person in our world who won't know their name!"

"Exactly. It better that they are not introduced to that more quickly than need be."

A sniffle is heard and they turn to Hagrid who is holding a handkerchief. He clears his throat.

Dumbledore turns, "There-There Hagrid, it's not goodbye, after all."

Dumbledore puts the boy on the doorstep and leaves a letter with him. "Goodluck Harry Potter."

Dumbledore nods to McGonagall and she turns, walking towards the nearest orphanage. The Light Orphanage. She places the little girl who stares up curiously, babbling nonsensically. McGonagall takes the letters Dumbledore had given her and placed them on the child. One was addressed to the owner of the orphanage and the other to the girl. McGonagall kisses her forehead, "Have courage, Be kind and Believe Little Neptune."

The girl blinked as McGonagall knocked and disappeared on the spot. 

\---

Neptunia Black woke up with a start as she looked at her blue flip phone as it vibrated. She rubbed the space above her heart where a lightning bolt-shaped scar sat. What was that dream? Was it real? Ignoring the questions that have plagued her since 10 years ago. She looked at the time, 3:30. Enough time for her to do her daily run and get breakfast ready by 4:30. She got up and put on her favourite galaxian hoodie and black leggings as her hair shimmered, turning to their usual blue-purple mix. She tied it into a braid as she slowly tip-toed out of the mouldy cupboard and out to the door as she carefully avoided the creaky floor-boards.

She stepped out and breathed in the fresh air, grinning as she began to jog her daily 4 kilometres. She looked around for people and began to bring water around her as she jogged. She made a harvest mouse shape out of it as it ran around her. 

As she finished her first two kilometres, she stopped and thought back to when she first discovered her powers. She smiled at the animal she chose. She felt like it represented her. She thought back to when she first discovered her...abilities. She was four, wasn't she? Yeah. God, the pain that came after was too hard to imagine but easy to remember as Neptunia fell into a flashback.

_"Ooh, pretty!" Four-year-old Neptunia sat all alone in the empty orphanage in her primary school uniform as she played with the floating water animals._

_The door opened and Neptunia stood up in attention as the blonde women who smelled weird walked in. "Good evening ma'am. What should I do?"_

_The women stood frozen still as she stared at the animals, "You...what are you doing?"_

_Neptunia smiled, unaware of the hidden venom behind the words, "I made friends!!"_

_The women scowled, stepping forward as she gripped the bottle tightly. "STOP IT." Neptunia's smile vanished, "But.." The women shook her head, "Stop it, YOU FREAK! YOU DON'T DESERVE FRIENDS! YOU DON'T BELONG ANYWHERE." Neptunia's lip wobbled and her eyes filled with tears but they didn't spill, she had already learned her lesson when she cried when she was small._

_"Neptunia," the voice was sickeningly sweet, "I think it's time for another lesson."_

_The women walked forward with the whip-like material and bottle in hand._

_"NO! I'm sorry! I'll stop! NO!"_

Neptunia shook her head and jogged on, no need to focus on the past. Ms Crawley was a pschyo and nobody could change that. After another 15 minutes, she had finished her run and was at the orphanage door. Her guardians disappeared and her hair turned a brighter shade of blue-purple. If the lizard's attention is on her then the others would be safe. She walked inside, avoiding the creaky floor-boards as she went to the girls' room and went inside. 

She stared at the six girls, sleeping together all huddled up on mattresses which were on the ground. She frowned, just because of that lizard's addiction they barely survived. She went to the oldest girl among the sleeping Mary-Jane, who was 9, her flaming red hair visible among the group, "Good morning MJ."

MJ groaned as she stretched, "I'll wake the others." 

Neptunia smiled, "Thank you." She stood up from her crouch and walked carefully across the hall to the boys' room and to the oldest boy who like MJ was 9. "Good morning Rowan." 

He turned and grumbled, "Why should I get up?"

Neptunia giggled, "I'm giving you all a treat today after school? A trip to the zoo? hmm?" The boy got up quickly and started shaking the others. She walked out quietly and into the kitchen. She started preparing breakfast. It wasn't much, one egg and two slices of bacon along with one slice of bread each. Neptunia skipped breakfast as the others moved silently and quickly to get ready. She got up from the chair and changed into her black shirt after taking her hoodie off. 

She stood at the door as everyone formed their line. She gripped the hand of MJ who held Rowan's hand who held the next's and so on. 

As they walked, she could feel people take out their phone click pictures and giggle and coo at the sight. Neptunia supposed that it did look cute, like a mother duck and her little adorable munchkin ducklings. She led them to the closest middle school. MJ, Rowan walked off with a goodbye as the triplets Lily, Rose and Jasmine, 8 years old, hugged her as a goodbye as they went to the building next door for primary school.

She grabbed the hand of Juliet who was 7 years old and started towards the kindergarten. When they reached the place. Juliet ran off with a yell as Harold and Jake both 6 years old followed suit. She turned to Zee and Bree who hugged her and soon rushed off as well. She smiled as she watched them run. 

She glanced at her watch, 6:55. She was LATE! Unless she ran, she wouldn't make it to the nearest Starbucks, where she worked. She started running, running around pedestrians. She looked at the road which fairly empty and started sprinting. She jumped over the hood of one car since it wasn't stopping, yelling out a quick sorry in good conscience. She turned around the corner and stared down the street to see the shop, running ever faster, she forgot to see where she was going, she bumped into a man dressed like her except he had a black cloak on. He had black hair, obsidian eyes and a hook nose. Neptunia got up and helped the man up as well, "Sorry sir, got to go!" Neptunia ran to the door and walked in, turning the sign to open as the clock turned 7:00. She walked towards the counter and put on an apron. She was the behind the scenes 10-year-old magic girl who created amazing coffees. The other workers came out from the kitchen and a few patted her on the head. 

As the orders and morning rush came in, Neptunia couldn't be happier as she saw people tip generously at her coffee art. After her shift, which ended at 12, the others divided the tip jar and if Neptunia got more than the others then she certainly didn't know while the workers exchanged smiles.

When Neptunia got out of the cafe, she quickly stuffed it into her bag and untied her hair. They had enough. They had finally made enough for their first trip to the zoo. She took out her phone as she walked and considered calling the 'Freedom and Flight' Restaurant to get a day off at the night shift, she shook her head. They needed the money. She walked into the library at 12:10 and sighed, running early today. She turned to the librarian, Mrs Abigail, who smiled back at her. "Finally ready to accept all your college degrees?" 

Neptunia's hair turned neon pink after a while as Neptunia realized something and she blushed, "Yes Mrs Abby! If I present this to the employers, they might pay me better and realise I mean business!"

Mrs Abigail shook her head, she walked to the room behind her counter and brought out all the packages which were delivered to her. Neptunia sat down in her favourite bean bag and stared at the packages as Mrs Abigail walked away saying that she needed privacy. 

Eidetic memory. This was all possible because of Eidetic memory, Neptunia thought. Neptunia was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the same man she crashed into sit in front of her on a bean bag as well. 

"Are you going to open it?" A slow and drawling voice interrupted Neptunia's thought, as she looked up her voice knit in confusion before clearing in clarity, "You're the person I bumped into this morning! Sorry about that!"

The man stared back before replying, "It's...alright. My name is Severus Snape. You are?"

Neptunia tilted her head, "Severus? Like my middle name?" Snape tilted his head slightly as Neptunia continued, "That's nice, I always liked that more than my first name. Anyway, My name is Neptunia Severus Black. Nice to meetcha." 

Neptunia took a deep breath as Severus inhaled quickly which went unnoticed. Neptunia slowly opened the packages and almost cried in pride when she saw her name on a COLLEGE degree, and she was just 10 years old.

"I'm your uncle."

Neptunia's head shot up from her hidden curtain of hair. "What?"

"Your mother was my twin sister, her name was Selena Eileen Snape...she fell in love and married Sirius Orion Black. She died giving birth to you, your godfather is Remus John Lupin. Your mother's favourite saying was 'Have courage, be kind and believe. And you're my niece."

Neptunia stared at the man for a moment, she didn't want to leave the orphanage. The others wouldn't survive at all. Her breath came in ragged before she closed her eyes, "So, um sir. What should I call you?"

No one would believe you if said that Severus Snape smiled, even if it was a little one, and since Neptunia's eyes were closed, you had no proof anyways. "Your mother called me Sev"

Neptunia opened her eyes, "Hi Uncle Sev."

"Hello."

Neptunia smiled before glancing at the watch which read 1:25 and her smile disappeared and her eyes widened. "Sorry Uncle Sev, I'm late! Gotta go!" She grabbed her bag and started walking towards the door.

Neptunia ran as soon as she stepped outside, school got over at 1:00 and if she was 5 minutes late then the protocol to call the guardian would be proposed and then... and things were going so good today!

Neptunia ran but as she reached the kindergarten, she knew she was too late. She stared at the teacher who scolded her for being half an hour late and told her that she had called their guardian. The same happened at the other schools and as they stood in front of the orphanage, the children felt fear but Neptunia steeled herself and turned to the children, "Go through the back and hide in the closet. I'll keep you safe."

MJ and Rowan nodded and took the lead. Neptunia turned around and walked in. As she closed the door, she was hit with the stench of alcohol, a bottle flew past her and hit the wall next to her. The glass cut her cheek and hand. 

The woman was in a rage. She had her whip in her hand, this was going to hurt but after she was done, they would have enough time to go to the zoo. She would not fall back on her promise. "Sorry for being late ma'am."

The woman screamed at her, yelling at her. Neptunia took off her shirt and tucked it into her bag before putting the bag in the corner of the room. Neptunia turned and locked the door. As soon as the door was locked, whips reined free. 

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and soon enough Neptunia lost count. 

After the lizard was done and was sleeping in her drunk state. Neptunia used her air to bring the bandages and applied it carefully. She took a band-aid and put it on her cheek. After making sure the room was clean and stench-free, Neptunia walked to the cupboard and did their special knock. The door opened slightly, the kids were wearing their normal clothes and Neptunia smiled brightly, "So, how about a trip to the zoo? The lizard is asleep. So let's sneak out."

Neptunia swore as that she would do whatever to keep those smiles on their faces. Neptunia smiled brighter as they walked across the room quietly and stepped out _. Anything_ for my family, Neptunia vowed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello everyone! I made this OC awhile back, like 2 years ago(2017). She's a special character that I created because I wanted her to protect everyone I liked/cared about but then I decided, she needs a backstory and whoops? I have a whole confusing ass plot planned and my updates will be irregular so please don't mind! Also, I'll take constructive criticism but hate comments can get the hell outta here. Your comments and votes, in general, mean a whole lot to me so please do so!! 
> 
> Word count (without A/N): 2572
> 
> Laugh loud and Be proud! 
> 
> Laterz~


	3. First Real Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaos ensues, Friends made. A good day gone bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Abuse

As Neptunia led the others to the zoo, she kept glancing at the watch. They had loads of time till the zoo actually closed, but if they wanted to split up then she would have to enforce the buddy rule.

She smiled at the ticketkeeper and paid the amount and walked inside. She was immediately surrounded by faces as they all begged with puppy eyes where they wanted to go.

"Right, Rowan you are with Harold and Bree. MJ, you'll be taking Jake, Zee and Juliet. The terror three you'll stick together and come with-"

The triplets shook their heads and claimed that they would stick together and not bicker over every little thing and begged her to let them go. Neptunia looked at their puppy dog eyes, pretending to resist them before she slumped over exaggeratedly. "Okay. Come back here after an hour and half. Have fun." 

Everyone ran off and out of the corner of her eye she could see a thin boy with black hair and green eyes staring at her. She turned towards him, smiled and waved before walking off to the reptile exhibit. As she walked around, watching the snakes with a sombre expression. She stopped at a boa constrictor and murmured to herself. "What wouldn't you do to be free?" 

To her astonishment, the snake rose up and tilted its head and nodded. "Hi, I'm Neptunia. Sorry to disturb you." 

She saw the snake shake its head and lay back down while closing its eyes but not before it winked. She stared at it and smiled slightly. Suddenly she saw a man and his son rap on the pane, man! Was the child a spoiled pig. The walked off and the boy she had seen earlier stood next to her staring at the boa constrictor with an odd feeling of understanding. 

"Must be annoying, people rapping at you like that."

The snake rose up and rolled its eyes as if to say he got that all the time.

Neptunia spoke up, "Where did you come from?"

The snake jabbed its tail at the sign on the wall nearby, it read that the boa was from Brazil.

The boy spoke next, "Was it nice there?"

Neptunia smiled, "I would love to go there."

The snake shook its head and jabbed again. "Oh" The boy looked at the sign, it read that he was bred here in the zoo. "Sorry about that." Harry said and Neptunia continued on, "Have you never been to Brazil?"

As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. 

"DUDLEY! MR DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"

'Dudley' or the fat boy to Neptunia came over, waddling as fast as he could."Out of the way, you," he said, punching the emerald-eyed boy in the ribs. Neptunia growled as her hair turned red and caught by surprise, said boy fell hard on the concrete floor. Neptunia turned her attention to him and provided him with a hand so he could get up.

What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened - one second, another boy and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.

Neptunia and the boy next to her gasped, the glass had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out on to the floor - people throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.

As the snake slid swiftly past them and Neptunia could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigosss." 

Blinking Neptunia replied, "Your welcome?"

The boy turned to her, "Did you do that?" Neptunia shook her head and checked her watch, she had ten minutes. "My name is Harry. Harry Potter, who are you?"

Neptunia held out a hand, smiling brightly, "My name is Neptunia Black. Nice to meet you, are you, my friend, now?"

Harry slowly nodded before turning to the man as they slowly recovered. "I have to go or they'll be mad." 

Neptunia frowned, hair turning red and orange again, "They don't hit you...do they?" Harry shook his head, Neptunia relaxed, her hair turning normal, nodding as it did so. Harry hesitated as if he wanted to ask a question but then walked away so as to not get caught.

Neptunia turned and walked away, meeting up with the others at the gate. They form their usual line and walk on. While they were exiting, Neptunia saw Harry and waved. He smiled and waved back, causing Neptunia to smile wider and walk on a funny feeling in her heart. Oh, she had gotten her first friend. He liked her hair. He didn't think it was weird. They bonded over a snake. Neptunia giggled as they rounded a corner. 

When they reached the orphanage, Neptunia let the others walk in before stepping in at exact 5:58. Neptunia turned to the others, "Go study. Before she comes and checks on us." 

Neptunia stands still at the gate as she turns to lock it. She gazes at it, smiling. She had a friend, she had made a friend and she deserved it. The lizard was wrong. The lizard was wrong. the lizard was-

"You are late."

here. The lizard was here. Neptunia's smile slid off her face as she turned to suck in a sharp breath. "Sorry, ma'am. I wasn't late, I was merely locking the door."

The woman walked forward to grab the collar of her hoodie and shook her, "Did you just question me? Talkback to me?"

Neptunia gulped, "No ma'am." A resounding slap was heard in the room as Neptunia fell to the floor clutching her face. The woman stepped forward in her heels pressing down on her stomach. "What did you say?"

Neptunia whimpered out a sorry before grasping at the leg, trying to get it off. Mrs Crawley stepped off only to kick her in the stomach. Neptunia tried to hold back the bile that rose up in her throat and succeded as she clutched her stomach. Mrs Crawley sniffed snootily as though she had smelt something bad. "You need a lesson. Take it off." Mrs Crawley walked to her liquor cabinet and pulled out her favourite whip but while doing so a wine bottle fell to the floor. She screamed with frustration and readied her whip.

Neptunia whimpered and silently choked out a sob. Neptunia took off her hoodie. On the outside, she was whimpering and stuttering out apologies but on the inside, she was screaming and crying out in pain and anger. This spiteful and hating woman had nothing else to do so she tortured children. 

What had she done to deserve this? She wanted her Uncle Sev. She wanted to run and run and make sure that Mrs Crawley wouldn't catch her but doing so would endanger the others so Neptunia just knelt there taking it. The wine bottle's glass cutting into her knees as she watched the wine form a puddle. 

She could feel a trickle of blood go down her back. A particular harsh blow made her fall forward. Neptunia closed her eyes, oh how she wanted it all to end.

The blows stopped, "Oh, you got a letter for your eleventh birthday. When is it again? I don't care. I'm leaving for a few days. I won't be back till the 12th of next month." The woman stepped back as a cruel smirk appeared on her face, she dropped the letter right above the puddle of wine..blood? Neptunia didn't know but her hand shot out to grab it as it fell. 

The women scowled and walked out with her suitcase. Neptunia sighed. She groaned and shifted. She got to work. The wine moving and floating down the sink as the air opened the tap and Neptunia used the water to clean her back, knees, hands and floor. Air also brought the bandages over so she could wrap herself up. She used the band-aid to cover her knees as she used her hand to take out the band-aid on her cheek. Like always, it scabbed over.

Soon enough, the room was spotless. Neptunia opened the letter and found a necklace along with a paper. She gasped, "Oh, _Oh._ " 

Neptunia grabbed the letter and started reading it. Neptunia mumbled as she read it. "Mother died giving birth. Father is 'traitor'. To whom? Harry's parents. who were best friends, more like family which made it all more painful? We'll see if he's an actual traitor...oh. Oh god...Voldemort. No...ugh. Voldemort? More like baguette. Idiot. Godfather is somewhere. Uncle is a teacher at Hogwarts? Hogwarts is a school for gifted witches and wizards. The necklace was given to me by the elemental community? He doesn't what that is either so okay. What are these now? Instructions on money; galleons, sickles, knuts...what...okay. Diagon Alley. The leaky cauldron? Someone will pick me up? When?! What if the lizard is here. Oh, on 31st July, not too long then. Harry's birthday?! What...what...okay. I'm fine"

Neptunia took a deep breath. Her world was changing rapidly and she didn't know how to react to it. Was this a joke? No, it's far too detailed, not to mention there are some truths in it. She took a deep breath in and glanced at the clock. She had to go for her waitressing job. Neptunia climbed the stairs and opened the door to the boy's room where everyone sat together and chatted. 

Neptunia smiled, "The lizard is gone till the 12th of August." Cheers rang throughout the room. "Now, since your summer vacations have started and your schools won't open till the 1st of September. Your bedtime is eleven, not nine. I want you all in bed when I come back to the orphanage okay?" She was met with various nods and she smiled back at them as she walked out and grabbed her bag. 

When Neptunia had finished her dinner rush job, she walked to the library, hoping it was open. And to her luck, it was. She stepped in, to see Mrs Abigail arranging some folders on her desk. Mrs Abigail looked up to see a hesitant, unsure and afraid little girl which looked nothing like her little bright and vibrant reader. 

"Um..Mrs Abigail?"

"Yes?"

"Mrs Crowley is gone till the twelfth of August and I need your help creating a case against her."

Mrs Abigail furrowed her eyebrows, what on earth was this child talking about? Was the woman actually that bad? Actually, nevermind that! That horrid women left them alone and Neptunia had to work for money! SHE WAS GOING AWAY AND THAT IS FINAL.

"Mrs Abigail?"

"That lizard is going away for a long-time sweetheart. Don't you worry child." 

Neptunia gasped and cried in happiness as her hair turned into a flurry of emotions and changed into a rainbow of colours. She dropped her bag and ran at the librarian and hugged her. 

"Let's get started shall we?"

"Yes, Mrs Abby!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N): Heyo! Two days in a row!! 
> 
> I'll admit I had a bit of writer's block and lethargy while writing this. I was just a bit confused about how to write this. I feel like Neptunia needs to learn emotions...proper emotions and not the mess she is. Not to mention; she's a very huggy person (like me!!)  
> Word Count: 2096.
> 
> Laterz~


	4. Introduction to MAGIC!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MAGIC!

Neptunia still couldn't believe that someone was taking HER side. HER SIDE! Most adults didn't believe her but Neptunia was grateful. Neptunia sat on her bean bag yawning as she read a few psychology books, specifically the ones regarding abuse and how it affected children. It had been a few days since she had asked Mrs Abby and she was glad she did so. The date today was 30th July. 

Mrs Abby had taught her a few things which had nothing to do with the case and Neptunia was surprised that she had 'soul wounds' as Mrs Abby put it. 

Neptunia thought back to _that_ conversation. Man, that was a wild ride. She hadn't stopped crying.

_Neptunia sat on the couch with her hit off as Mrs Abby took the pictures of her latest endeavour. After she was done, Neptunia put on the shirt. She looked at Mrs Abby who was frowning, "What is it, Mrs Abby?"_

_"Sweetie, I'm afraid these photos won't be enough."_

_Neptunia brightened. "OH! Don't worry. I have photos from my other...encounters and what not. I don't have the photo of 'after the violent episode' as you asked before but I also have witnesses. The other children?"_

_Mrs Abby looked horrified, "Sweetie, what has that woman done to you?"_

_Neptunia shrank from her gaze, she contemplated telling her before opening her mouth, spilling everything. "Most of the time she was just giving me lessons on how I should behave and really those were warranted since I was just 5. It was really my mistake. I spoke too loud, she had a hangover. But ever since the other kids arrived she attacked them too. She hit them a few times before I stepped in and took her focus off them. I took photos and noted the date. It was then I realised that she was horrible."_

_Neptunia's hair fell in her face, it had turned purple. It wasn't a bright shade but a mellow and gloomy one. Fear...Neptunia realized. She felt so afraid of that women that even the thought of her triggered her hair to react. Neptunia looked at her hair and everything was turning blurry. Oh, she was about to cry. No, she couldn't cry. It was wrong. She was wro-_

_"Oh,my sweet child. Why are you so selfless? You couldn't care about yourself but as soon as someone else was hurt you step in? You work so much that you have enough money to leave but you stay? only to protect the others? You're so smart but you don't brag? Darling, if it was me I would have given in. You are beautiful, you are strong, you are special, you are not forbidden or stopped from expressing yourself. It's okay to laugh loud, cry hard or be angry, as long its justified of course. Never listen to the horrible voices that may be outside or inside. You may have physical and soul wounds but they heal. Sure they may ache from time to time but they don't define you, they just remind you of your story. The past is history, the future is undefined but the present is yours and yours alone. Nothing can change that. So, you ready to write your story?"_

_Neptunia looked up with tear tracks streaming across her face and leapt across the length of the couch to hug her as she cried freely for the first time in a looong time._

Neptunia smiled freely as her hair turned pink. She loved Mrs Abby, she was warm and soft, like a protector. She glanced at the watch, she still had a lot of time till the dinner rush. Neptunia closed her book and stood up stretching as she smiled at Uncle Sev who was sitting across her. "What are you reading?"

The man looked up and blinked, "Potions..."

Neptunia blinked...what. Oh! Magic was still a thing. She giggled, "Can you teach me?"

Neptunia stared as her uncle's fixed face turned something into mild shock. "Do you really want to?"

Neptunia nodded her head, "I'm really good at memorizing things. I can learn formulas in no time. The physical aspect may need a little help."

Severus nodded, "Very well then, take this book. Memorize it. I shall quiz you tomorrow, if you are ready then we'll go to my house for some brewing." Neptunia eagerly nodded and grabbed the book before turning to the first page. There were some extra notes but she didn't pay them any mind. They were just tips and tricks. "Is this yours?"

"No. Unfortunately, my school copy had been misplaced. I simply bought a new one and re-wrote my notes."

Neptunia furrowed her brow, "Shouldn't you write it in another notebook? So it doesn't get lost?" 

She looked up and blinked owlishly. He cleared his throat, "I'll keep that in mind." Neptunia smiled and sat down and started reading the book.

It was fun, soon Uncle Sev left and it was just her and Mrs Abby left in the library. While she was halfway through the thick master's book for potioneers, Mrs Abby sat in front of her. "what are you reading sweetie?" 

Neptunia smiled, she didn't regret telling Mrs Abby all about Magic and Elementals and how the necklace had formed on Albus Dumbledore's desk with a note saying that it should be delivered to her. She hadn't regretted telling her about her uncle and her choices. She smiled, "Potions, Mrs Abby! There are tons on here. Liquid Luck, Polyjuice, Memoriam meam erudias which is a memory returning potion! There are some many that could help a non-magic person and really? I think it is funny that though they might have better things than non-magic people they really haven't thought of using pills or the things we use for writing instead of quills!!"

Neptunia giggled as Mrs Abby smiled. "That's interesting...memoriam? Is that greek or something?"

Neptunia shook her head, "Latin! I studied language history a few months back and I was really sucked into it...speaking of which! I have to go! My shift is going to start in a few minutes." Neptunia put the book in her bag as she got up and her hair turning their usual colour as she raced towards the gate and eventually the restaurant. 

\---

After her shift, Neptunia walked back slowly, she yawned. She needed to buy something for Harry. Her first friend's birthday was tomorrow! What should she do? Her hand subconsciously moved to her necklace and Neptunia fiddled with it as she thought about what she buy or make for him. Harry was thin, maybe- No...a good book? Nah, not everyone loved to read like her. A sweatshirt? Hm...maybe she shoul-. Neptunia stopped and stared at the glass window of a Candyland shop. Neptunia bit her lip. Wow, what a place. Maybe, this could be a gift? A packet of an assortment of sweets? Yeah..everyone loved sweets.

She smiled and walked in. She looked around and thanked a man who had given her a candy bag and plastic gloves to collect the sweets she wanted. She quickly wore them and started walking around. You could even sample a few if you wanted. Personally, she liked the sour strips a lot. But for Harry, she got a lot of chocolate eggs, sour apple bites, gummy worms, fudge and breadsticks, almond chocolates and a bunch of mini treacle tarts. 

She walked up to the counter and the women there smiled, "Got a sweet tooth?"

Neptunia shook her head, "No ma'am, just my friend's birthday."

The women blinked before winking conspiratorily, "Okay then." 

Soon after the transaction, Neptunia hid it all in her bag in such a manner that it wouldn't break. Once she reached the orphanage, the lights were out. She checked up on the others before moving to her cupboard. She put her bag in the corner and lay down. It was dark since the bulb had broken. She grabbed her necklace for comfort and small lights started to glow around her. Neptunia gazed at them as she yawned, "Stars?" She murmured sleepily. Soon enough, Neptunia fell asleep and she dreamt of meeting a queen who told her that they would meet soon. And for Neptunia? It was just a dream.

When Neptunia woke up the next morning, she was woken by the cries of the girls and boys. Her eyes opened flashing like space and her hair turning like water and started flowing but in the colour of her eyes. She fumbled with the latch and as she rushed out. The elements were floating around her poised as weapons ready to strike. She ran forward and stood in front of them with her back facing them. 

Her face was in a snarl as she growled out, "Who the hell ar-"

Neptunia's eyes and hair turned to their usual colour as she saw her friend, "Harry? And, who is this with you?"

Neptunia stared at the tall man who was very bushy and had beetle like black eyes. The man chcuckled, "Sorry 'bout that, didn' know tha' the door was tha' fragile." 

Neptunia narrowed her eyes and raised her eyebrow before looking at Harry. "Neptunia! Wow! That was amazing!"

Neptunia smiled and turned around, "Now shush you guys. Up you go. I'll get your breakfast ready in a little while."

She turned back to the hairy man and Harry. She pointed to the sofa. They sat and the couch creaked a little. Neptunia winced a little as she heard it creak. The man put his pink flowerly umbrella on the side. "Where's ya guardian Neptunia? Not alone are ya?"

Neptunia shook her head, "No. She's out. Who are you? Are you here to take us to Hogwarts?"

The man laughed, "Got ya letter 'lready?" Neptunia tilted her head. The man chuckled, " 'Course not, orphanaged children have it personally delivered. 'ere." 

Neptunia stared at the yellowish parchment. It read:

Ms N. Black

The smallest cupboard

Light Orphanage

Little Whinging

SURREY

Neptunia blinked at it, what. She looked at the man who was smiling warmly and nodded at her to open it. She licked her lips.

She opened it to find two pieces of parchment. The first one read:

Dear Ms Black

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find an enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours Sincerely 

MINERVA MCGONAGALL

DEPUTY HEADMISTRESS

Neptunia blinked slowly, "Well then..." She looked up at the man, who smacked his forehead, "'Course you're confused! Me name's Hagrid. The groundskeeper and keeper of keys at Hogwarts." 

Neptunia nodded numbly and turned to Harry, "So you're a wizard and I'm a witch now?"

Harry nodded unsurely and shrugged. Neptunia turned to Hagrid, "How did you know my name?"

"The both of ya are famous since ya defeated You-Know-Who when ya were wee' babies."

Neptunia raised her brow, "I don't know who." She saw Harry stifle a laugh as Hagrid grinned, "Tha's me out smar'ed ain't it?" 

Neptunia shrugged. "You mean Voldemort?" Hagrid yelped and looked at her, "Don' say 'is name."

Neptunia tilted her head and apologized before asking, "So, um. Let me just get the other's breakfast and then we'll get the equipment?"

Hagrid nodded. Neptunia turned towards Harry and then suddenly smacked her forehead. "Oh! I almost forgot! Happy Birthday,Harry! Wait here." She walked to her cupboard, grabbed her bag and brought out the sweets she had bought. " I don't know much about you since we haven't really talked but I figured everyone liked sweets so here you go." She gave the sweets to Harry and walked inside to the other kids. She explained that she had won a scholarship at a really big school where she could study more and they immediately implored her to go. Neptunia smiled and brought them down for breakfast. 

After everything was said and done. They started towards London. Neptunia looks towards Hagrid as they sat on the train, "Where are we going?"

Hagrid chuckled, "To get yer supplies. Still got yer letter?"

Neptunia opened up the second parchment. IT read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL o f WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY  
  
UNIFORM  
  
First-year students will require:  
  
1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
  
2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
  
3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
  
4\. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)  
  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags  
  
COURSE BOOKS  
  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
  
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk  
  
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot  
  
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling  
  
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch  
  
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore  
  
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger  
  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander  
  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble  
  
OTHER EQUIPMENT  
  
1 wand  
  
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
  
1 set of glass or crystal phials  
  
1 telescope set  
  
1 brass scales  
  
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad  
  
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Universe cooked up? She might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told her so far was unbelievable, She couldn't help trusting him.  
  
"This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place. "  
  
It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, she wouldn't notice it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Neptunia had the most peculiar feeling that only she and Hagrid could see it. Before she could say anything at all. Hagrid steered them inside. Neptunia turned to Harry as he did so and she could see that he felt the same too. So was the place cloaked in magic? Some kind of illusion spell?  
  
For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"

"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.   
  
"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this -- can this be -- ?"  
  
The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.   
  
"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter. . . what an honor. "  
  
He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.   
  
"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back. "  
  
Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.   
  
Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.   
  
"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last. "  
  
"So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud. "  
  
"Always wanted to shake your hand -- I'm all of a flutter. "  
  
"Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle. "  
  
"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop. "  
  
"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!" Harry shook hands again and again -- Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.   
  
A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.   
  
"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts. "  
  
"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you. "  
  
"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"  
  
"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself. " He looked terrified at the very thought.   
  
But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.   
  
"Must get on -- lots ter buy. Come on, Harry. "  
  
Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.  
Hagrid grinned at Harry.   
  
"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh -- mind you, he's usually tremblin'. "

Neptunia nudged Harry, "So Mr Famous, you won't forget about me will you?" Harry shook his head and turned to Hagrid. "Why did no one do the same to Neptunia?"

Hagrid stiffened and his eyes started darting around, "They musn' 'ave noticed her." 

Neptunia sighed, "I was standing right next to Harry."

Hagrid ignored her and shook his head, "But Quirrel though. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience. . . They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag -- never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject -- now, where's me umbrella?"

Vampires? Hags? Her head was swimming. Hagrid meanwhile was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.   
  
"Three up. . . two across. . . " he muttered. "Right, stand back, both of yeh."  
  
He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.   
  
The brick he had touched quivered -- it wriggled -- in the middle, a small hole appeared -- it grew wider and wider -- a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.   
  
"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."

Neptunia stared around, people were using magic freely and laughing freely. "Whoa."Harry dumbly nodded beside her as Hagrid laughed.

Neptunia laughed out of disbelief as Hagrid walked ahead, "Firs' stop. Gringotts." Neptunia looked puzzled and Harry explained to her that it was a bank run by GOBLINS! Neptunia laughed once again. WHAT WAS THIS PLACE!? Was that an owl shop? Ohh, they were beautiful. 

They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was --

  
"Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, they noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:  
  
Enter, stranger, but take heed  
  
Of what awaits the sin of greed,  
  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
  
Must pay most dearly in their turn.   
  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
  
A treasure that was never yours,  
  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
  
Of finding more than treasure there.   
  
"Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.   


To Neptunia, the poem sounded like a dare...A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter while Neptunia walked behind slowly still awestruck.  
  
"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe and the Black Vault."  
  
"You have their key, sir?"  
  
"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of mouldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals as Neptunia giggled at Hagrid's mess.

  
"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key and an ornate silver key.  
  
The goblin looked at it closely. "That seems to be in order. "

"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"  
  
Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.   
  
"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.   
  
"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that. " Neptunia looked at Harry who shrugged. Neptunia just smiled and shook her head. She was learning and experiencing so many things.  
  
Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in -- Hagrid with some difficulty -- and were off.   
  
At first,they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible. Neptunia seemed to have no problem of that sort, her eidetic memory aiding her in ways that simple memory could not. The rattling cart seemed to know its own way because Griphook wasn't steering. 

Neptunia looked around as the air smoothly moved past her and didn't seem to affect her, though the same couldn't be said for Harry. Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once,she thought she saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late -- they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.   
  
"I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"  
  
"Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick. "  
  
He did look very green and before Harry could ask him if he was okay Neptunia cut in, "Actually Harry, Stalactite and stalagmite are both nouns. They each refer to mineral deposits in a cave, but stalactites form on the ceilings of caves, while stalagmites are found on the ground."

Harry looked at Neptunia who was smiling wide and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling. 

Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.   
  
"All yours," smiled Hagrid.   
  
All Harry's -- it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking. How often had they complained about how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London.   
  
Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag and turned to them.  
  
"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh. " He turned to Griphook. "The Black Vault now."

They got in and they were off and soon enough they reached the vault. Neptunia was the last to step out. She walked slowly. The vault door was nothing like the Potter's or any other one actually. It looked silver, green and ornate like the ring. Griphook inserted the key and stepped back. 

The doors opened, and my god. There were so many mounds of gold and silver, there weren't many bronze piles but it showed what it implied. She was the inheritor of the richest family in wizarding history. She turned to Griphook, "Mr Griphook sir, can we convert galleons to muggle money?" 

The goblin looked startled at the title he was given but he nodded. Neptunia grabbed 20 galleons, a handful of sickles and knuts and put them into a pouch. She nodded and thanked the goblin. Hagrid turned to Griphook, "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"

"One speed only," said Griphook.   
  
They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck. Neptunia giggled and grabbed onto his arm and hugged him slightly. 

When they reached Neptunia was surprised. Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.   
  
"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.   
  
"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.   
  
"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.   
  
"About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin. 

Neptunia's eyes widened, "That's barbaric! You ought to lower it to once a month at most!"  
  
Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, they were sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least -- but at first they thought it was empty. Then they noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask as Neptunia stared at him blankly.  
  
"Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.

Neptunia laughed as Harry smiled. One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry and NEptunia stared at each other, they were in the same boat. They had no idea how many galleons were to 1pound. Neptunia looked down, she could take the others to amusement parks and fairs and never have to worry about going hungry or making it alive every again. Hell, she could bribe the judge and get away it. All that mattered was that the children at Light Orphanage were finally facing better days.


	5. Meeting people and getting ready

Neptunia shook herself out of her thoughts and smiled at Harry and then they turned to Hagrid,

"Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts. " He did still look a bit sick, so they entered Madam Malkin's shop, feeling nervous.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve. Neptunia smiled nervously, "Good Morning ma'am."

"Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here -- another young man being fitted up just now, in fact. "

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.

"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," said Harry and Neptunia smiled, "Yup."

"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why the first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow. "

Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley and Neptunia looked appaled, "You ought not to do that! What if you get expelled"  
"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on before turning to Neptunia, "So what? I could go to another school." He turned back to Harry, "Well?"

"No," said Harry.

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be. Neptunia huffed and sat on a seat nearby waiting for Harry to be done.

"I do -- Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"

"No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.

"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been -- imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

"Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.

"I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.

"That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts. "

"Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"

"He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second. 

"Yes. Well, I heard he's a sort of savage -- lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed. "

"I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly and Neptunia pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "He's kind, helpful and amazing. Just you wait. You'll see."

"Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy, Neptunia nodded and muttered out a 'same'

"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"

"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean. " and Neptunia popped up, "Does it matter if they weren't?"

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"

But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy. Harry nodded and turned to Neptunia, "I'll be waiting for you outside."

Neptunia smiled and hopped onto the stool as Madam Malkin helped pin her robes. The boy turned to her, "You're strange."

Neptunia rolled her eyes, "Gee, I hadn't noticed." She wondered if everyone was going to be this rude.

The boy huffed slightly, "What's your name anyway? My name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

"Neptunia. And you really ought to lose that bigoted opinion." Neptunia could see the wheels turning in Draco's head.

"What...bigoted?"

"Well, yes! Do you honestly think that if only Wizarding families were invited or allowed then the population of the community wouldn't greatly stagnate? Besides, If wizard and witches only married other wizards and witches, the inbreeding would destroy their DNA and make them go insane." Madam Malkin smiled up at her and she smiled back. She took off her robes after she was done and paid her. As she was stepping out the door, she turned back to the blonde, "Besides...we all bleed red don't we?"

Leaving the gobsmacked and slightly confused blonde behind, she walked ahead to see a messy tuft of raven hair. She walked forward and looped her arms with Harry, "Shall we?" They walked together towards the ice cream shop.

Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts). Neptunia looked at him from time to time as she ate her own ice cream (chocolate and vanilla with chocolate chips.).

"What's up?" said Hagrid.

"Nothing," Harry lied. Neptunia nudged him and whispered, "Liar. It's about that boy isn't it?" Harry nodded and turned to his ice cream.

They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote and Neptunia was rather delighted when she bought it. When they had left the shop, Harry said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?" Neptunia turned her head towards Hagrid, eager to learn more.

"Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know -- not knowin' about Quidditch!"

"Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. Neptunia giggled and nudged him, "We're in this together Harry!!" Harry smiled before frowning. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's with Neptunia interjecting in between and telling them about the conversation she had with him.

"-- and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in--" said Harry before he was interrupted by Neptunia.

"Really Harry again? You really shouldn't listen to people like that."

"Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were -- he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles -- look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!" Hagrid ranted before turning to Neptunia. "And yeh did the right thing Neptunia. O' course, I couldn't 'ave done better, some people are just grown into it and jus' need a fresh perspective. Tha's all."

Neptunia beamed under the praise and her hair turned pink. Harry turned to NEptunia, "Say, Neptune?" Neptunia turned to Harry with a brighter smile because of the fact that Harry felt comfortable enough to use a nickname, "Yea Harry?"

"Why does your hair do that?" Neptunia tugged a strand in front of her face, "I really don't know much about the magical community so I think I'll buy a few extra books to jumpstart. otherwise, I don't know why. I think it is in tune with my emotions." Neptunia turned to Hagrid hoping that he would have the answers.

Hagrid smiled, "Yer not wrong there. Yer a metamorphangus is what."

Neptunia hummed, already well versed in Latin, she knew what it meant. Harry looked puzzled, "A what?"

Hagrid continued explaining, "A metamorphangus is someone who can change their appearance at will but some times their emotions get the best o' them."

Harry nodded as Neptunia focused and changed her appearance. Her hair changed to black and her eyes turned to green from her usual grey. Harry felt weird seeing a copy of him, right in front of him. Neptunia smiled before changing back to normal. They laughed before Harry turned to Hagrid.

"So Hagrid, what is Quidditch?"

"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like -- like soccer in the Muggle world -- everyone follows Quidditch -- played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls -- sorta hard ter explain the rules. "

Neptunia smiled, "That doesn't sound like the rules..."

Hagrid smiled as his beard twitched, Neptunia was reminded of something else Draco had said, "Hagrid? What are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

"Schoolhouses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but--"

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily. Neptunia flared up, "HARRY! You shouldn't belie stereotypes. For all we know Hufflepuff could be nice!"

Hagrid continued on darkly, "Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin. There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one. "

Neptunia turned to Hagrid appalled at the discrimination unfortunate nature in the situation, "Hagrid! Just because they turn out to be Slytherin doesn't mean that ALL Slytherins are horrible!"

Harry glanced at Neptunia before asking Hagrid, "Vol-, sorry -- You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"

"Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.

They got their books at a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Harry could see Nepunia's eyes turn a slight shade of gold as she turned from book to book, grabbing something that might be interesting. When she turned to Hagrid, even he couldn't resist her pleading eyes. As Neptunia grabbed another book ( The master's book for Transfiguration), she could have never seen a funnier sight. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.

"I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley. "

"I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level. "

Neptunia winked at Harry behind HAgrid's back before grabbing the book and hiding it in her pile. Harry had to turn away to hide his smile. When they walked outside Hagrid looked at Neptunia's stack of books and sighed with fake annoyance.

Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list") and Neptunia was giggling all the time, ("You're such a drama queen Harry!" "Am not!" She stuck her tongue out at him), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Both of them were looking forward to potions. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry and Neptunia, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop) and Neptunia was looking around at the Bezoars which Neptunia recognised as a poison cure.

Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry and Neptunia's list again.

"Just yer wand left -- A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present. "

Harry felt himself go red and Neptunia hugged him from his right side.

"You don't have to--"

"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at -- an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'. "

Neptunia smiled, "Oh, Owls are pretty cute too Hagrid!"

Hagrid smiled, "Dead right you are!"

Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.

"Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now -- only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand. "

A wand, Neptunia straightened. She was wondering how they worked and how she would choose it. They were probably millions!

The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B. C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. Neptunia sucked in a breath of air, this place was amazing. She walked forwards to look at the boxes but then stopped sheepishly. For some reason, the back of their neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic. 

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped and Neptunia squeaked. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.

An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hello," said Harry awkwardly as Neptunia waved awkwardly as well, "Good afternoon." 

"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter. Neptunia Black." It wasn't a question. He turned to Harry, "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work. "

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry looked like he was wishing he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it -- it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course. "

Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.

"And that's where. . . "

Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands. . . well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do. . . "

He turned to Neptunia and gazed at her chest. She raised her hand to cover the spot where her scar sat. "Neptunia Black, a spitting image of your mother. I remember when she first came in, bursting with questions. 11 inches, Cedar Wood. The handle was made out of Pawpaw Wood. A core of wolf whisker and troll hearstring. That wand really only favoured those with a sharp mind." He looked into Neptunia's eyes which were grey like her father's

"Your father, however, 15 inches, Ebony wood, phoenix feather core. Not too flexible nor Rigid. He was a good allrounder. Pity though, with what happened."

Neptunia awkwardly smiled, "Thank you?" The man shook his head and to Neptunia and Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.

"Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again. . . Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"

"It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.

"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.

"Er -- yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.

"But you don't use them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.

"Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke. Neptunia zeroed in on the motion before her eyes widened slightly.

"Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now -- Mr. Potter. Let me see. " He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Er -- well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.

"Hold out your arm. That's it. " He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand. "

Neptunia spoke up, "Sir? You said that the wand chooses the wizard or witch. Does that mean that there could be wands with no owners at all?"

Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes. "Who knows, wand lore is extemely complex." Mr Ollivander moved around before taking out a box.

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave. "

Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try--"

Harry tried -- but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.

"No, no -- here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out. "

Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere -- I wonder, now -- yes, why not -- unusual combination -- holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. "

Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped, Neptunia looked in awe and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well. . . how curious. . . how very curious. . . "

He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious. . . curious. . .

"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"

Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather -- just two others. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother -- why, its brother gave you both those scars. "

Harry swallowed. Neptunia tilted her head and opened her mouth to ask a question when Mr Ollivander turned and smiled at Neptunia, "Now the lady's turn. Right wand arm?"

Neptunia nodded and the man set to work. He brought out a box. " Ash, Phoenix wing feather, Firm, 9 inches. Try-"

Neptunia sighed and raised it before Mr Ollivander snatched it and gave her a new one.

"Hmm- yes, this might. Hawthorn, unicorn mane hair, stiff, 8 inches,"

Neptunia waved it around but to no avail and Mr Ollivander snatched it back and as he turned Neptunia smacked her forehead. "OH! I almost forgot!"

Mr Ollivander turned around, "Yes?"

Neptunia pulled out her necklace and gave it to Mr Ollivander. " I had gotten a letter saying I should show this to you."

Mr Ollivander stared at it before using his wand to take out the crystal gem, making the wings curl out and form a new necklace. He went back and brought out a silver coloured box, he opened it and brought out the most beautiful wand Neptunia had ever seen. It was chestnut brown but it had Mahogany brown vine-like features which formed a cage above the handle. The whole body if the wand had tiny gemstones which varied with colour, at the tip of the wand, it had a small piece of gemstone which was blue.

Mr Ollivander brought the gemstone closer to her wand and the wood moved to let in. "How interesting..10 inches, Holly and elder mix. Phoenix feather with the gems of an elemental fight along with the hearthstone. Flexible but rigid. An unusual combination but one that is noted for protection. How curious. Try."

Neptunia grasped the wand, flicked it and stars came floating out her wand forming a beautiful ambience of safety. Hagrid clapped, Harry gasped and tried to touch one before stopping and Mr Ollivander exclaimed jovially, "How incredible. But curious." As he packed it he was still muttering. "Curious. How Curious..."

Neptunia couldn't help but ask like Harry, "Sorry, but what's curious?"

Mr Ollivander gazed at Neptunia, "It seems that you too have the wand that shared the Phoenix feather." Neptunia turned to look at Harry who also seemed confused.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember. . . I think we must expect great things from you, Ms. Black, Mr. Potter. . . After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things -- terrible, yes, but great. "

Neptunia stared at the man as Harry shivered, she wasn't sure if the man was right in the head or not. They each paid seven gold Galleons for their wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.

The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry, Neptunia and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Neptunia on the other hand was reading a book and raised an eyebrow at the people who stared for too long. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder and Neptunia laughed at his startled expression.

"Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," Hagrid said.

He bought Harry and Neptunia a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow. Neptunia had mellowed out and wasn't her usual bubbly self.

"You all right, Harry? Yer lookin' anxious. Neptunia? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.

Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life -- and yet -- he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words. Neptunia fiddled with her newly changed necklace.

"Everyone thinks We're special," he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander. . . but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry -- I mean, the night my parents died. "

Neptunia nodded and spoke up, "Not to mention that we don't know anything about the magical world and its customs. Surely you must have some kind of primary school for magic?"

Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows, he wore a very kind smile.

"Don' you worry, Harry. Neptunia. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts -- I did -- still do, 'smatter of fact. "

Hagrid helped Harry and Neptunia on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys and her to the orphanage, then handed them an envelope each.

"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September -- King's Cross -- it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me. . . See yeh soon, Harry. And Neptunia, don't go running off using magic alright?"

The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone. He turned to NEptunia who was grinning. "So, want to read about those spells from the book that you wanted?"

Harry smiled, maybe things won't be too bad. Neptunia smirked and applauded herself mentally for cheering Harry's spirits. After all, it was just the beginning.


	6. Bye Bye Lizard

Neptunia was ecstatic. When she was woken up by millions of hugs on the 1st of August, she hadn't expected for it to be 12:01 in the morning. She had laughed and given each and every one of them a huge bear hug. She got up and marked an 'X' on the calendar that hung inside her cupboard.

After her morning run, Neptunia felt hungry and when it was time for breakfast, Neptunia didn't hesitate to pile up everyone's plates and when Juliet asked her if they had the money for this sort of food, Neptunia smiled and winked, "We can do whatever and nobody can stop us." The triplets, Lily, Rose and Jasmine looked up, and Neptunia looked at them sternly, "Nothing too mean or rude."

The three sheepishly laughed and went back to their food. Their morning was warm and cozy without the lizard and Neptunia felt a frown coming on but she shook her head. Today was her birthday; that lizard was going leave anyway. No need to waste her time. Neptunia smiled at the kids as they told her that she should take an off day and visit her friend. Neptunia laughed and took out her phone and began to call the cafe and restaurant. They told her that they had already given her the day off.

Neptunia waved goodbye to the others and walked towards Harry's house. It wasn't home, just a house. She checked her phone for the time: 11:30. She could see Harry through the window. She took a small pebble, softly flew it over to the window and used it to knock on it. Harry opened the window and Neptunia waved from below. She looked around to see if there was anyone and then seeing as there was no one. She used the air to lift her up and through the window(with much effort. She's sure she hit herself with a branch or two.).

"Hey Harry!"

Harry's eyes were wide and he was whispering, "Neptunia? What are you doing here?"

Neptunia tilted her head and whispered back, "Today's my birthday. I wanted to visit you so I came over."

Harry looked a bit apologetic and Neptunia wondered why "Happy Birthday Neptunia." 

Neptunia smiled and hugged Harry before going over to the snowy white owl and started petting it. Neptunia looked at Harry, "What did you name her?"

Harry shrugged and gestured to a book labelled Hogwarts: A History of Magic. "I was going to read through it and pick a name. Wanna help me?"

Neptunia smiled and lay on her stomach beside Harry as they pointed out names to each other, soon they decided on 'Hedwig'. Neptunia and Harry started talking about their future subjects, classes and houses. Harry learned that he shouldn't start about stereotypes as Neptunia launched into a speech? He sat through it patiently and awkwardly as Neptunia finished another one of her rants. When she finished, she looked to Harry and they both quietly smothered their laughs so the Dursleys wouldn't hear.

Harry sat on the bed, reading a book while Neptunia's head lay on his lap as she too read a book, "Hey Neptunia?"

Neptunia hummed as Harry continued, "What's that thing you do with air, fire, water and rocks?"

Neptunia got up and brought out her usual friends made of rock, water and fire. This was hard. Harry looked around at the creatures and whispered out his amazement ("This is amazing.")

Neptunia smiled as the creatures seemingly disappeared. "I'm an elemental. They're a community of people with control over one element out of the total four. Somehow, I have control over all of them."

Harry looked at Neptunia in awe, "Wow, that's amazing! All the things you could do!"

Neptunia laughed, "Not to mention we could scare Dudley even more! The pranks we could pull." They sat there for a while, discussing how the houses would be divided before Neptunia glanced at the watch which read 5:45. Neptunia got up, hugged Harry goodbye and went on her way. 

When she reached to the Library, her hair turned pink as Mrs Abby hugged her with a 'Happy Birthday Darling'. Mrs Abby sat her down on a bean bag and told her to wait as she got something. Neptunia's hair returned to normal and when Mrs Abby gave her a present wrapped in newspaper, she carefully opened it and gasped when she found a fiction book that she always wanted. Neptunia hugged Mrs Abigail and got down to read it. After a while, as always, Severus Snape walks in and sits in front of her. And as usual, she smiles, "Hello Uncle Sev!"

Snape nods and gives her a sheet of paper and Neptunia smiles, closes her book, brings out her pencil and starts the test.

After a while, she hands it to her uncle. He vanishes it and turns to her, "What's this I hear about you working?" 

Neptunia panics, she flails her arms around in an 'X' before stilling, "It's nothing! Just to pass the time you know?!!"

Snape looks at Neptunia and she feels as though she is being X-rayed. Neptunia just imagines her usual chest on an island and borders. Snape raised an eyebrow before clearing his throat. "Yes, well how are things at your guardian's house?"

Neptunia bit her lip and looked away. Was she afraid of her uncle? No. Was she afraid of the lizard? Hell, no. Did she fear the fact that she would be separated from the others if she left this? yes. She was petrified. Neptunia looked to her Uncle and smiled a bright smile. "They're fine."

\---

Neptunia held the case files in her left hand and held the hand of her little duckling chain as they walked towards the police station. It had been eleven days since she last talked to her uncle. She had spent the eleven days, vigorously poring over every law with Mrs Abigail and reminded everyone to be who they are. Neptunia sighed, she looked to her left and met the eyes of Mrs Abby who smiled and nodded at her, encouraging her to keep moving forward. 

Right, she was doing this for them. They needed a good life, not a place where they kept flinching and starving. They walked in and Neptunia stood tall. 

\---

Neptunia sat in the interrogation room and they set up a recorder. She was the last to be interviewed because she had to repeatedly go to the other interview rooms because the others had started crying and then she gave a verbal smackdown to the person interviewing them. Neptunia sighed as the man sat down in front of her. He brought his hand on the table and Neptunia flinched and squeaked. Neptunia turned red and muttered out a sorry.

"So, Neptunia Black. My, you have a lot of degrees and PhDs."

Neptunia sat tall, "Thank you, sir."

The man was thorough and asked her everything. Neptunia felt tired and exhausted by the time he was done. "And she's coming back tomorrow?" 

"Yes..."

"We'll send a letter for your hearing which will be held tomorrow."

Neptunia sat rigid, "So soon?"

The man nodded, "All there will be in a hearing is your statement and the presentation of the proof and she will be judged guilty. I'll be damned if she isn't. That woman is a bi-" The man stopped. 

Neptunia tilted her head, "A what?"

"A lizard. Her name _is_ Crawley."

\---

When the kids and Neptunia walked into the orphanage, Neptunia told them to pack their stuff and keep it near their beds. After all, was said and done, Zee and Bree rushed over to Neptunia and hugged her legs, "We'll miss you!"

Neptunia quietly sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, "I will miss my rhyming duo too."

Neptunia raised her head to look at the others, a few were trying to hide their tears. Neptunia smiled, "Don't hide your tears...they mean that you're strong." A few started crying and came rushing to Neptunia. Was this going to be the last time she was going to see them? Were they going to forget her? Would she ever meet them again?

Neptunia put a stop to her thoughts and laughed, "Besides, you're going to much better homes! And trust me, they're good." The children smiled, wiped their tears and went to bed. Neptunia kissed each and everyone on the head before turning off the lights in the rooms before going to the roof. 

"Am I ready?" Neptunia asked the stars. Maybe she was asking for strength or maybe she was asking for help. Neptunia sniffed as a tear betrayed her and fell, "Am I ready?" _to be alone._

\---

Neptunia stood tall on the podium, recounting every incident, every whip, lash, beating or verbal smackdown she ever faced and saved the others from. While she was in the middle of one, the judge stopped her. Neptunia licked her lips and spoke out hesitantly, "But...there's like loads left."

The judge looked to her shocked before he turned to Ms Crawley, "YOU! Ms Crawley are GUILTY of child endangerment, abuse, and neglect. The new caretaker will be appointed by the 20th of the next month."

The kids laughed and Neptunia nodded and sighed in relief? happiness? Neptunia was confused but happy as the kids were escorted to good homes after the hearing. As Neptunia walked back to the orphanage, if one looked closely, you could see hints of pink and white in her hair. After all, Neptunia was happy but afraid too. 

Neptunia stopped and stared at the sky, what will the world throw at her next?


	7. Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

Neptunia's last days before the first of September were lonely and her hair remained mostly white or pink. The day she turned up at the library with white hair was amazing Mrs Abby was worried if she had been tortured. 

Neptunia remembered reassuring Mrs Abby that she was just afraid of her new school, what it might entail and what they might think of her, not to mention she was worried if the others had adjusted well. Mrs Abby just hugged her and assured her that all would most definitely be well.

Though one thing was interesting, recalling the memory it was exhilarating as well.

_Neptunia walked back from her job like she did every day but today as she let out her hair from her bun, a woman appeared suddenly with an orange portal like structure behind her. She stamped her left foot and stood in attention._

_"Madam, the royal high queen requests your presence."_

_Neptunia just blinked and walked with the woman. Although Neptunia tried to make small talk, the woman walked in daunting silence. The buildings were beautifully carved as though done by one person who, Neptunia thought, must've been a dedicated artist. It all seemed to be like the castles of those movies. It was silver, Neptunia realised with a jolt. She stopped for a moment before walking alongside the guard again._

_When they reached a set of huge double doors, Neptunia braced herself for a cold court but what she got a warm atmosphere even if there weren't that many people. A black-skinned woman whose hair had been braided, with green eyes and regal appearance sat on a large throne. Beside her, there was a smaller throne(in comparison) but it was empty._

_A girl stood at the base of the few steps leading up to the thrones. She was wearing a flower printed sundress. She had blonde hair and what looked like blue eyes. Alongside the walls were guards of both genders. Not a single one had the same uniform. They were all suited to, what Neptunia assumed, assets._

_Neptunia walked to the base of the steps and curtsied while maintaining her cool and smooth facade._

_"Rise, my protege. Rise and meet a junior and soul sister. I am your present High Queen; Oracle." The woman on the throne paused before smiling, "You may call me whatever you want."_

_Neptunia rose from her position to the girl beside her. Neptunia nodded at her before turning to the High Queen, "Hi...I'm Neptunia...um. You sure you wanna give this to me? I'm like eleven and she's...19?"_

_The woman smiled, "She looks 19, she's actually 9. Shapeshifting. I'm assuming you have the same power as well. Along with many others of course, that I foresee.."_

_Neptunia looked gobsmacked before the girl beside her giggled and turned to her actual size and shape. The woman on the throne got up, smiled and led them to their library, "Come, let me teach you. Time will come and soon you'll be ready.."_

Neptunia giggled, yeah...that was fun. She read a few books and Ora was impressed with her knowledge. The whole thing seemed a bit iffy but she learned a whole lot about elemental culture. 

As Neptunia walked, she thought of what her uncle Sev told her today, she would be fine tomorrow. After all, what could go wrong? 

But as Neptunia stood on the platform, she realised that yes...many things could go wrong. As stood there, people stared at her and her hair. She moved to look around and soon saw Harry. He turned and saw her. Neptunia waved and almost ran to him.

"HARRY! I hope you have-"

"Any idea to get to our platform? No."

Neptunia bit her lip as Harry looked around. They stopped a passing guard but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when they couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though they were being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. In the end, the guard strode away, muttering about time-wasters. Harry and Neptunia were now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, they had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and they had no idea how to do it. Neptunia looked around, hoping for a miracle.

Hagrid must have forgotten to tell them something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. Harry wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten but looking at Neptunia's 'really?' face, he quickly knew not to.   
  
At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.   
  
"-- packed with Muggles, of course--"  
  
Harry swung round and Neptunia had spun so fast that her blue and purple hair fell out of her bun. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like their's in front of them -- and they had an owl.   
  
Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them with Neptunia close behind. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying. Neptunia almost bumped into him so she whispered out a sorry which Harry waved off.  
  
"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.   
  
"Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go. . . "  
  
"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first. "  
  
What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it and Neptunia just raised an eyebrow-- but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.   
  
"Fred, you next," the plump woman said. 

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"  
  
"Sorry, George, dear. "  
  
"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so because a second later, he had gone -- but how had he done it? Beside Harry, Neptunia had giggled at their joke but then started to focus on the barrier. Had it too had some charm that made it unnoticeable like the Leaky Cauldron?  
  
Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there -- and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.   
  
There was nothing else for it.   
  
"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.   
  
"Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too. "  
  
She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.   
  
"Yes, Ma'am," said Neptunia. "The thing is we don't know how to--"  
  
"How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly and they nodded.   
  
"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron. "  
  
"Er -- okay," said Harry and Neptunia took a deep breath.   
  
They pushed their trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.   
  
They started to walk toward it. People jostled them on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly with Neptunia in front of him as she picked up her pace. They were going to smash right into that barrier and then they'd be in trouble -- leaning forward on their cart, both of them broke into a heavy run -- the barrier was coming nearer and nearer -- they wouldn't be able to stop -- the cart was out of control -- Neptunia was a foot away -- he closed his eyes ready for the crash but Neptunia kept her eyes open in fierce determination--

It didn't come. . . he kept on running. . . he opened his eyes and saw that Neptunia had stopped a little bit behind him. She was staring on in awe. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, He had done it. He heard Neptunia squeal with glee as he was tackled by her from the behind. Luckily, they didn't fall. 

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks. 

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. They pushed their respective carts off down the platform in search of an empty seat. They passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again. "

"Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.   
  
A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.   
  
"Give us a look, Lee, go on. "  
  
The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.   
  
They pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. Harry put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He could see Neptunia easily lift her stuff even though she probably had more books than him He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot. He suspected that Neptunia was pranking him.   
  
"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.   
  
"Yes, please," Harry panted as Neptunia giggled and smirked.  
  
"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help! This is heavy!"  
  
With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment. Harry could hear a crack and movement of stone that he suspected belonged to Neptunia  
  
"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.   
  
"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.   
  
"Blimey," said the other twin, turning to Neptunia and staring at her chest. "Are you -- ?"  
  
"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.   
  
"What?" said Harry.   
  
"Harry Potter. " chorused the twins. "And you're Neptunia Black! Nice Prank, we're guessing."  
  
"Oh, him," said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am. " Neptunia beside him smiled, "Thanks boys."  
  
The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Neptunia, herself, was feeling awkward now as her hair turned orange and pink. Then, to their relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.   
  
"Fred? George? Are you there?"  
  
"Coming, Mom. "  
  
With a last look at Harry and Neptunia, the twins hopped off the train.   
  
Harry sat down next to the window where half-hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Neptunia sat beside him and had taken out a crossword book. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.   
  
"Ron, you've got something on your nose. "  
  
The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.   
  
"Mom -- geroff" He wriggled free.   
  
"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins. Neptunia quietly giggled as she filled 10 across. That was pure social suicide.   
  
"Shut up," said Ron.   
  
"Where's Percy?" said their mother.   
  
"He's coming now. "  
  
The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.   
  
"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves--"  
  
"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea. "  
  
"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once--"  
  
"Or twice--"  
  
"A minute--"  
  
"All summer--"  
  
"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.   
  
"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.   
  
"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term -- send me an owl when you get there. "  
  
She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.   
  
"Now, you two -- this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've -- you've blown up a toilet or--"  
  
"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet. "  
  
"Great idea though, thanks, Mom. "  
  
"It's not funny. And look after Ron. "  
  
"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us. "  
  
"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.   
  
"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"  
  
Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking. Neptunia's hair turned pink again from the blue and purple it was.  
  
"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Harry Potter!" The other twin continued, "And that girl with the wicked hair was Neptunia Black  
  
Harry heard the little girl's voice, "Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see _him_ , Mom, eh please..."  
  
"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Are they really, Fred? How do you know?"  
  
"Asked them. Saw his scar. It's really there -- like lightning. "

"Poor dear -- no wonder they were alone, I wondered. They were ever so polite when they asked how to get onto the platform. "  
  
"Never mind that, do you think they remember what You-Know-Who looks like?"  
  
"Yeah, maybe she could turn into him! She's a meta-whatsitcalledagain?"

Their mother suddenly became very stern, "I forbid you to ask them, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though they need reminding of that on their first day at school. "  
  
"All right, keep your hair on. "  
  
A whistle sounded.   
  
"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.   
  
"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls. "  
  
"We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat. "  
  
"George!"  
  
"Only joking, Mom. "  
  
The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.   
  
Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to -- but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind. He looked to Neptunia who had abandoned her book and stared out with a wild sort of smile on her face.  
  
The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.   
  
"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full. "  
  
Neptunia smiled and Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.   
  
"Hey, Ron. "  
  
The twins were back.   
  
"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train -- Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there. "  
  
"Right," mumbled Ron.   
  
"Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then. " 

The first twin nudged the other and looked towards Neptunia, "We wish for your assistance in our pranking, fair maiden."

Neptunia giggled and waved, "Of course sir, good day."  
  
"Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.   
  
"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out, "And you're really Neptunia Black?"  
  
Harry nodded as Neptunia shrugged.  
  
"Oh -- well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got -- you know. . . "  
  
He pointed at Harry's forehead.   
  
Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.   
  
"So that's where You-Know-Who -- ?"  
  
"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it. "  
  
"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.   
  
"Well -- I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else." Neptunia opened her mouth but closed it and gazed out the window.  
  
"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.   
  
"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.   
  
"Er -- Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him. "  
  
"So you must know loads of magic already. "  
  
The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about. Neptunia tilted her head, "Plus, you probably must know the hand movements and intricacies of verbal pronunciation. Not to mention, you must've seen a lot on non-verbal spells!"

Harry smiled at Neptunia who turned pink as Ron blinked. "I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"  
  
"Horrible -- well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers. "  
  
"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left -- Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat. "  
  
Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep. "His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff -- I mean, I got Scabbers instead. "  
  
Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much because he went back to staring out of the window.

Neptunia glanced at Harry who nodded at her, so she started off on her rant on how horribly poor she was before she realised her parents had left her an inheritance. She also told him about how she starved a few days to feed the others in the orphanage but she didn't tell him about Ms Crawley. She was a thing of the past.

Soon after, Harry told his story. This seemed to cheer Ron up. Neptunia smiled and watched Harry finish his story.

". . . and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort--"  
  
Ron gasped, Neptunia rolled her eyes.  
  
"What?" said Harry.   
  
"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people--" (Neptunia cut in, "It's just a name Ron. You don't even know what it means in French.")

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn. . . I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class. "

Neptunia raised a hand and rested it on Harry's shoulder, "You don't know that!"  
  
"You won't be. There are loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough. " Ron assured.  
  
While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.   
  
Around half-past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"  
  
Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches and Harry heard Neptunia ask for one. Harry went out into the corridor.   
  
He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry -- but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.   
  
Neptunia and Ron stared as Harry brought it all back into the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.   
  
"Hungry, are you?"  
  
"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty. Harry gave one to Neptunia who took it after stuffing the last of the sandwich into her mouth.  
  
Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were three sandwiches inside after Neptunia had taken one. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef. . "  
  
"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on--"  
  
"You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us. "  
  
"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).   
  
"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.   
  
"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa. "  
  
"What?" "A card?" asked Harry and Neptunia  
  
"Oh, of course, you both wouldn't know -- Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect -- famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy. "  
  
Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.   
  
"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry while Neptunia's eyes widened and she turned away from the beans.   
  
"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa -- thanks--"  
  
Harry turned over his card and read:  
  
 _ALBUS DUMBLEDORE  
  
CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS  
  
Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling. _  
  
Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.

"He's gone!" "No way!"

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her. . . do you want it? You can start collecting. "  
  
Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped as Neptunia took the card he discarded.  
  
"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos. "  
  
"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"  
  
Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Neptunia had started her own collection, she not only had the same ones Harry had but more.  
  
"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry as Neptunia smirked. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor -- you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once. "  
  
Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.   
  
"Bleaaargh -- see? Sprouts. "  
  
They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper. Unfortunately for Ron, He and Neptunia started a contest. They both had a packet and were eating beans together. Ron kept getting the bad ones with one or two good ones while Neptunia had the opposite. HArry suspected a prank with the way Neptunia was smiled.

  
The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills. There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.   
  
"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"  
  
When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"  
  
"He'll turn up," said Harry.   
  
"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him. . . "  
  
He left.   
  
"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk. " Neptunia smiled and tried to look stern, "Ron."  
The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.   
  
"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look. . . "  
  
He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.   
  
"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway--"  
  
He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.   
  
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.   
  
"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.   
  
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then. "  
  
She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.   
  
"Er -- all right." He cleared his throat. _"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow. "_  
  
He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep.   
  
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard -- I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough -- I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"  
  
She said all this very fast. Neptunia replied just as fast, "Hey! Yeah, I doubt a spell would be like a rhyme, from what I've read, they seem to be Latin or translations of different languages. Not to mention wand movements. Did you really? I did too, I thought I'd be the only one. I'm an orphan but my parents were magic, though I just found out -- so it was a shock for me that magic existed, I wondered how the technology worked around magic when I did find out -- I'm Neptunia Black." She held out a hand for Hermione to shake

Hermione blinked, smiled and shook Neptunia's hand. Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either. 

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.   
  
"Are you both really?" said Hermione, looking from Neptunia to Harry. "I know all about you both, of course -- I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century. "  
  
"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed. Neptunia nodded, "We are, not to mention, there are some wild theories on how we defeated Voldemort."  
  
"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. . . Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon. "

Neptunia shrugged and shook her head. And she left, taking the toadless boy with her. Neptunia took her robes and walked out to help the toadless boy. 

When Neptunia walked out of the washroom, after changing into her robes. She spotted Hermione and the toadless boy. She jogged towards them and patted the boy on the shoulder, "Hey, my name's Neptunia Black. Do you need help?" 

The boy turned around, "Yes, please! My name's...Neville...Neville.."

Neptunia smiled and prompted him to speak, "Neville...?" 

Neville continued as Hermione nudged him, "Neville Longbottom." 

Neptunia smiled, "Nice to meet you, Neville, now I think I know a spell that might help us. What's your frog's name?" 

After taking out her wand and learning the frog's name, Neptunia cleared her throat. "Accio Trevor the frog." Neptunia quickly put her wand away and looked around for a flying frog.

Hermione and Neville looked confused and started looking around too. Soon Neville noticed a frog coming at a high speed. Neptunia saw it too and she jumped, catching it smoothly in her hands.

Hermione smiled and Neville gasped, "Trevor!" Neptunia grinned and walked away, waving to the duo, when she reached to her compartment, she heard Ron tell Harry about Gringotts. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles -- someone tried to rob a high-security vault. "

Harry stared as Neptunia's eyebrows furrowed.  
  
"Really? What happened to them?" "That's odd."  
  
"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it." (Neptunia rolled her eyes at 'You-Know-Who.)

Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.   
  
"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.   
  
"Er -- I don't know any. " Harry confessed.   
  
"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world -- " And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry and Neptunia(who looked positively thrilled) through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.   
  
Three boys entered, and Harry and Neptunia recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.   
  
"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"  
  
"Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.   
  
"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. " Neptunia smiled, "Nice to see you again Draco."  
  
Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.   
  
"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford. " NEptunia gasped and hit Draco on the arm, "Rude. Apologize!"  
  
He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there. "

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.   
  
Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks. He turned towards Neptunia expecting support but she just said, "You're being rude. You should be the one to apologize."  
  
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you. "  
  
Both Harry and Ron stood up as Neptunia turned and faced Draco as her hair turned a terrifying red.   
  
"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.   
  
"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.   
  
"Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.   
  
"But we don't feet like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some. "  
  
Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron -- Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.   
  
Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle -- Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once with splashes sounding behind them as though they were wet. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.   
  
"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.   
  
"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No -- I don't believe it -- he's gone back to sleep. "  
  
And so he had.   
  
"You've met Malfoy before?"  
  
Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley. Neptunia shook her head, "I thought I told him about this kind of stuff. Ugh! I thought he listened!"  
  
"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side. " He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"  
  
"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

Neptunia smiled assuredly, "Don't worry, I'll take care of them. Besides...they started it!"  
  
"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?" 

Neptunia frowned at Ron's words and turned to Hermione, "Hey, I'll come with."  
  
"All right -- I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"  
  
Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down. 

Neptunia walked with Hermione, "Give them a chance, they're alright. Not what you're thinking." Hermione hummed and walked ahead.

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately. "  
  
Neptunia's hair turned a light grey. Neptunia grabbed her hair and stared. Black for mystery and White for fear...huh. She turned to the crowd and started walking with the others.

  
The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry? Where's Neptunia?"  
  
Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.   
  
"C'mon, follow me -- any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"  
  
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Neptunia thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.   
  
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here. "  
  
There was a loud "Oooooh!"  
  
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

Neptunia blinked, "Oh...how I would love to draw this. This looks like something out of a fairytale."

Beside her, Draco, who was standing without the presence of goon one and two, nodded before doing a double-take at who said it. "Hey."

Neptunia looked at Draco who looked sheepish. "I'm not going to talk to you until you apologize."

Draco sighed, "Alright, I'm sorry. I felt like I was brushed off by both of them." 

Neptunia smiled, "It's okay...just try to be nice to people, alright? No matter what house they're from." Draco nodded.

Neptunia went back to staring at the castle, vowing to draw it soon.

"No more'n five to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville, Hermione. Neptunia walked forward and joined them.   
  
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then -- FORWARD!"  
  
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.   
  
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.   
  
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.   
  
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.   
  
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. Neptunia sucked in a breath.  
  
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"  
  
Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door. Well, Neptunia thought, welcome to your new life Neptunia.


	8. Cuthbert

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Neptunia's first thought was that this was an extremely soft person on the inside.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.   
  
"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here. "  
  
She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Light Orphanage and a few more in. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.   
  
They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Neptunia could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -- the rest of the school must already be here -- but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously but Neptunia stood to the side and gazed around with eager fascination.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.   
  
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.   
  
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. "  
  
Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair. Neptunia's hair started changing colours as she undid her hair and started braiding it again.  
  
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly. "  
  
She left the chamber. Neptunia took deep breaths as Harry beside her swallowed.  
  
"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked Ron.   
  
"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking. "  
  
Neptunia's eyes widened. A test? In front of the whole school? But she didn't practice any magic yet -- what on earth would she have to do? She hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. Harry looked to be in the same condition as her as he looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too.

No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Harry tried hard not to listen to her but Neptunia turned to her and whispered on what kind of test could it be. Maybe, it was a logical test or something about our reactions to a certain thing or two. Neptunia's hair was stuck on white as she fidgeted with her robes. She kept her eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead them to their doom.   
  
Then something happened that made everyone jump about a foot in the air -- several people behind her screamed. Neptunia stood still, shoulders slightly hunched with her left hand in front of her and the right one to her side as her fingers curled outward. Her training with the Elementals was helpful.  
  
"What the -- ?"  
  
Harry gasped, but Neptunia nodded her head in realisation as she relaxed. People around her, gasped too. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance--"  
  
"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost -- I say, what are you all doing here?"  
  
A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.   
  
Nobody answered but Neptunia smiled and waved as a few ghosts returned the gesture.  
  
"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"  
  
A few people nodded mutely. (Neptunia smiled out a 'Yeah!')  
  
"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know. "  
  
"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start. "  
  
Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.   
  
"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me. "

Feeling oddly as though her legs had turned to lead, Neptunia stood at the end of the line as Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.   
  
Neptunia had never even imagined such a magical and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. 

Professor McGonagall led the first years up there so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, "It is bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History. " Neptunia smiled thankfully as her hair had returned to their usual colour before they entered the room and whispered back to Hermione, "I wonder kind of charms they must have used. Surely one couldn't have been sufficient."  
  
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.   
  
Neptunia quickly looked towards the teacher's table as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. That seemed like an antique you would find in a garage sale.  
  
Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Harry thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing - but then again, Neptunia's stare said otherwise- noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - Harry could hear Neptunia's choked laugh- and the hat began to sing:

 _"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
  
But don't judge on what you see,  
  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
  
A smarter hat than me.   
  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
  
And I can cap them all.   
  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
  
So try me on and I will tell you  
  
Where you ought to be.   
  
You might belong in Gryffindor,  
  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
  
Where they are just and loyal,  
  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
  
And unafraid of toil;  
  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind,  
  
Where those of wit and learning,  
  
Will always find their kind;  
  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
  
You'll make your real friends,  
  
Those cunning folk use any means  
  
To achieve their ends.   
  
So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
  
And don't get in a flap!  
  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)_  
  
 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_  
  
The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. Neptunia clapped as she tried to think of what qualities could describe her, but then she started thinking about what she valued most.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll. "  
  
Harry smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him. Neptunia, who had come forward near Harry, nudged him and smiled. Seems like even she was a bit nervous. Maybe things would go alright, after all.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.   
  
"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!" 

Neptunia nodded at first, mentally scoring the fact that it was alphabetical before her eyes widened.   
  
A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause --  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.   
  
The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry and Neptunia saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her. 

"Black, Neptunia"

The whispers started as Neptunia slowly made her way from the back of the line to the stool. Though Neptunia was standing tall with her chin slightly up, the whispers were getting to her. 

"Black? What's _she_ doing here?"

"She _should be in jail_ like her father!"

"Black?! What if she's _a murderer_ like him?"

"She's probably _like you-know-who_! Maybe, that's how she defeated him."

Neptunia reached the stool, her face(or hair, for that matter) remained impassive. She sat down and bit her lower lip as the Hat was put on her head which soon fell over her eyes. The chatter seized. It was the make or break moment.

A voice whispered, _"Black, eh?"_

Neptunia figured that this must be the hat. So she merely thought a 'Hello' as a greeting.

 _"Nice too, what a change."_

Neptunia shrugged, thinking 'Thank you.'

_"Polite! What a day, never thought that a Black would be polite. Except for your father...he was, in between. Your mother was a different story."_

Neptunia wanted to ask what they had been like but decided to remain happy with what she had gotten. Father was cocky but Mother was kind...it was starting to sound like a cliche romance novel. 

_"Yes...they were like that."_

Neptunia's eyebrows shot up. Huh, well whaddya know. 

_"Now onto the sorting. You've got that confidence, kind too..fiercely loyal. Inquisitive too. Hmm, but cunning and ambitious. Bit reckless but yes...nice thirst to prove yourself. Insecure? I don't think that should be your attitude but a nice bit of defiance is there as well. Quite an enigma..."_

Neptunia raised an eyebrow, That's psycho-analyzing without permission.

The hat chuckled inside her head, _is it?_

Yes. You're judging me on my experiences and behaviour without my consent. I didn't know what would happen. I could sue you.

 _My my, how bold and brave. To question a revered artifact._

You're a dusty old hat...do you have a name or something?

 _Tell no one, Cuthbert._

Huh...well, you done yet?

_Hmmm, indeed. You definitely belong in,_

"Gryffindor!"

Neptunia got up as silence reigned in the hall. She placed the hat back on the stool. As she walked to her table, the tension and silence were heavy.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat as Neptunia sat beside Fred and George who sat opposite Percy. 

"Bones, Susan!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.   
  
"Boot, Terry!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the second Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling and Neptunia whooping with them, though he saw her clapping for all the houses politely.  
  
"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all, he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant lot but he shook that thought off. Neptunia wouldn't approve.  
  
He was starting to feel definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school. He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked him.   
  
"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others, it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor but none of them had taken as long as Neptunia who took a whopping 6 minutes.  
  
"Granger, Hermione!"  
  
Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head. Neptunia giggled as she vowed to tease(in a friendly manner, of course) Hermione for the rest of their lives.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned.   
  
A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if he wasn't chosen at all? What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train?  
  
When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag. "  
  
Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and he took two minutes, when the hat finally shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"  
  
Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking a bit confused but pleased with himself.   
  
There weren't many people left now. "Moon". . . , "Nott". . . , "Parkinson". . . , then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil". . . , then "Perks, Sally-Anne". . . , and then, at last --  
  
"Potter, Harry!"  
  
As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.   
  
"Potter, did she say?"  
  
"The Harry Potter?"  
  
The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.   
  
" _Hmm,"_ said a small voice in his ear. _"Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes -- and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting. . . So where shall I put you?"_  
  
Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.   
  
_"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that -- no? Well, if you're sure -- better be_ GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. He was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, he hardly noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Neptunia beside them was beaming and clapping the hardest. 

Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water. 

He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest Neptunia and Harry sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave them the thumbs up. Harry grinned back as Neptunia waved shyly. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognized him at once from the card he'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train as Neptunia whispered, "He really looks like the card.". Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.  
  
And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table as Neptunia kept smiling as though she had full faith that Ron would be Gryffindor and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

  
Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him and Neptunia.   
  
"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away. 

Neptunia looked at the other tables, hoping to get a glimpse of Draco, who saw her and waved discreetly. Neptunia smiled, happy that their friendship hadn't died because of some stupid stigmas. She quickly looked towards the teacher's table as Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. 

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!  
  
"Thank you!"  
  
He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.   
  
"Is he -- a bit mad?" he asked Percy uncertainly. Neptunia winked and shook her head, (All the best people are, Harry!) but she went unnoticed.  
  
"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"  
  
Harry's mouth fell open and Neptunia looked towards the table as her mouth fell open as well. The dishes in front of them were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.   
  
For someone who starved, just to eat the bare minimum: Neptunia turned green as the end of her hair did too. She took a bit of roast chicken, sausages and roast potatoes. Neptunia was sure that if she ate too much, she would have vomited then and there.   
  
"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak. Neptunia looked up after taking out the fork in her mouth.

"Can't you -- ?"  
  
"I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower. "  
  
"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you -- you're Nearly Headless Nick!"  
  
"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -- " the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.   
  
"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"  
  
Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted. Neptunia smiled hesitantly, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. She glanced towards Hermione who seemed to be thinking along the same lines her.

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. 

Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So -- new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable -- he's the Slytherin ghost. "  
  
Neptunia and Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased(Neptunia looked sympathetic) to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.   
  
"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.   
  
"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.   
  
When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding. . .   
  
As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, Neptunia took a Chocolate cake, the talk turned to their families.   
  
"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him. "  
  
The others laughed as Neptunia and Hermione exchanged a look. That could have gone horribly wrong.  
  
"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.   
  
"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me -- he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned -- but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced -- all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here -- they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad. "

Neptunia gasped, "That's dangerous! Were you okay?" to which Neville nodded. As the conversation continued, Neptunia turned to Percy and Hermione who were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult -- "; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing -- " "Are we really? Oh! Hermione, this is going to be so interesting! But Percy, What about DADA?-). 

Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.   
  
It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes -- and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead, he could hear NEptunia gasp and hunch over as she clasped her hand to her chest and bunch the clothing above her scar.  
  
"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.   
  
"What is it?" Percy asked Harry as Hermione hovered NEptunia (Do you need a doctor?--" "I-uh-I'm fine Mione...")  
  
"N-nothing. "  
  
The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look -- a feeling that he didn't like Harry at all.   
  
"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy.   
  
"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to -- everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape. "  
  
Harry watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at him again. Neptunia nudged him and whispered, "Uncle Sev isn't that bad. Trust me. I'll tell you later."

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.   
  
"Ahem -- just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. "  
  
Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins before looking at Neptunia who simply grinned.  
  
"I have also been asked by Mr Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. 

Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.   
  
And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death. "  
  
Neptunia and Harry laughed, but they were one of the few who did. Neptunia stopped laughing and looked mortified.   
  
"He's not serious?" Harry muttered to Percy.   
  
"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere -- the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least. "

Neptunia looked towards Percy with a raised eyebrow, "You're _just_ prefects.."  
  
"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed, seemed like Neptunia did too as she giggled at their faces while she used her hand to hide a smile.   
  
Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.   
  
"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"  
  
And the school bellowed:  
  
 _"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,  
  
Teach us something please,  
_  
 _Whether we be old and bald  
  
Or young with scabby knees,_  
  
 _Our heads could do with filling  
  
With some interesting stuff,  
  
For now they're bare and full of air,  
_  
 _Dead flies and bits of fluff,_  
  
 _So teach us things worth knowing_ ,  
  
 _Bring back what we've forgot, just do your best, we'll do the rest,  
  
And learn until our brains all rot. "_  
  
Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins and Neptunia were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest and Neptunia was seen discreetly high-fiving the twins.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

Neptunia looked slightly miffed beside Harry who laughed behind his hand as she whispered out, "We're not horses..dude!"  
  
The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. Neptunia, however, looked around with interest and she even memorised what was where. She didn't want to get lost tomorrow. She wanted to make a good impression. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Neptunia was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.   
  
A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.   
  
"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist. " He raised his voice, "Peeves -- show yourself. "  
  
A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.   
  
"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"  
  
There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.   
  
"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"  
  
He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked except Neptunia who stuck a tongue out. Peeves looked surprised before he flew up and started throwing sticks again.  
  
"Go away, Peeves or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.   
  
Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armour as he passed.   
  
"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are. "  
  
At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.   
  
"Password?" she asked.  
  
"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it -- Neville needed a leg up -- and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cosy round room full of squashy armchairs.   
  
Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase -- they were obviously in one of the towers -- they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pyjamas and fell into bed. 

"Great food, isn't it?" Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. "Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets. "  
  
Harry was going to ask Ron if he'd had any of the treacle tarts, but he fell asleep almost at once.

At the same time, on the girl's side. Neptunia and Hermione were animatedly talking about their classes and favourite books before they too changed and fell asleep.  
  
Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully -- and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it -- then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold -- there was a burst of green light and Harry woke, sweating and shaking. 

He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke the next day, he didn't remember the dream at all but that wasn't the case with Neptunia.

When Neptunia woke up from her dream, which was frightening, to say the least. She was running from Ms Crawley who kept telling her to give up at finding friends. Neptunia shook hear head claiming that she had five friends, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco and Neville but she wouldn't listen. Neptunia started to run away and-- she bumped into the sorting hat who told her she wasn't interesting--she turned to the crowd, faceless and black, who laughed- they started to rise and they were about to engulf her--there was a burst of green light, a scream and Neptunia woke. She got up from her bed, she was sweating, shaking and her hair turned white.

Neptunia walked a little before going to sleep after staring at the ceiling for a period of time and she woke up the next morning? Let's just say that she was a bit afraid at what Hogwarts, her new home, thought of her.


	9. First Day!

"There, look."

"Where?"  
  
"Next to the tall kid with the red hair. "

"The one with the glasses?"

"Yeah, that's him."

Whispers followed Harry from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. 

People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. Harry wished they wouldn't because he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes but then-

"Look! Here comes the Black"

"Where?"

"Next to the girl with bushy hair."

"The one with the blue-purple hair? 

"We'd better run."

His saving grace came in the form of a girl with blue-purple who had the opposite condition than her. People avoided her like the plague. Stick together and most people left them alone. 

Neptunia walked around with horrible whispers dampening her mood every second but she still smiled and waved at them. She was starting to get a sick sense of glee every time they looked guilty.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armour could walk when he asked Neptunia, she just smiled and told him not to worry.   
  
The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!" He, unusually, left Neptunia alone, at least...most of the time.  
  
Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Harry, Neptunia and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing. While Harry and Ron thanked Quirrel, Neptunia stood to the side.  
  
Filch owned a cat called Mrs Norris, a scrawny, dust-coloured creature with bulging, lamp-like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins and now, Neptunia Black) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs Norris a good kick. Neptunia claimed that Mrs Norris was alright if you could bribe her the right price.

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words. Neptunia was having loads of fun to Ron's immense horror.  
  
They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight (for Neptunia, it was a horror since their information and technology was outdated.) and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for, Neptunia found it refreshing and partnered with Neville for their first class. Easily the most uninteresting class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while Neptunia pored through the books, ignoring Binns and made her own notes.  
  
Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class, he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight but when he reached Neptunia's name, he froze and moved on quickly without waiting for Neptunia's 'here'.   
  
Professor McGonagall was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class but Neptunia sat straight and listened attentively, she desperately wanted to impress her.  
  
"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned. "  
  
Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger and Neptunia Black had made any difference to their match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave them a rare smile.

The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went. 

When Neptunia walked out of that class, she ranted to Hermione about how she should have just skipped it and studied the practical aspects in an empty class. Hermione looked a bit uncomfortable at Neptunia's complaints of Professor Quirrel but she agreed all the same  
  
Harry was very relieved to find out that he wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.   
  
Friday was an important day for Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.   
  
"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge. Neptunia sat beside him poring over yet another book of fiction.  
  
"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them -- we'll be able to see if it's true. "

"Uh...yeah, he's just salty." Neptunia interjected.  
  
"Wish McGonagall favored us," said Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before. 

Neptunia giggled and shook her head, "Fat chance Harry."  
  
Just then, the mail arrived. Harry had gotten used to this by now, but it had given him and Neptunia a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.   
  
Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:  
  
 _Dear Harry (and Neptunia),  
  
I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?  
  
I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.   
  
Hagrid_  
  
Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, Neptunia stole the quill from him and wrote that she couldn't wait for it and sent Hedwig off again.   
  
It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.   
  
At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry -- he hated him and even Neptunia couldn't change his mind.  
  
Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls but as Neptunia walked through the halls, she couldn't help but feel at home since it was slightly similar to her Uncle's house.  
  
Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.   
  
"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new -- celebrity. "  
  
Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Neptunia frowned. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.   
  
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word -- like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. . . I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death -- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach. "  
  
More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. Neptunia, beside Hermione, sat relaxed as if she wasn't bothered by his intimidating speech.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added the powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Neptunia's eyebrows furrowed. They wouldn't be learning that until the end of the year.  
  
Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air, seeing Hermione, Neptunia lazily raised hers as well.  
  
"I don't know, sir," said Harry.   
  
Snape's lips curled into a sneer. Neptunia raised an eyebrow as his eyes met hers before they focused on Harry again.  
  
"Tut, tut -- fame clearly isn't everything. "  
  
He ignored Hermione's hand and Neptunia's hands.  
  
"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"  
  
Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was but then he remembered Neptunia saying something.  
  
"In the stomach of a goat sir."  
  
"Correct, let's see if it was a fluke shall we?" Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi?  
  
Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.   
  
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"  
  
At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.   
  
"I don't know sir," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione and Neptunia do, though, why don't you try them?"  
  
A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased.   
  
"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is, indeed, a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"  
  
There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter. "  
  
Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy and Neptunia, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy and Neptunia had stewed their horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.   
  
"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilt potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"  
  
Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.   
  
"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.   
  
"You -- Potter -- why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor. "  
  
This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron. Neptunia huffed from her seat, could her uncle be any more biased? What the hell? What did he have against Gryffindors?  
  
"Don't push it," Ron muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty. "  
  
As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his very first week -- why did Snape hate him so much?  
  
"Cheer up," said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of goloshes were outside the front door.   
  
When Neptunia knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang -- back.

Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.   
  
"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang. "  
  
He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.   
  
There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.   
  
"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.   
  
"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.   
  
"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest. " Neptunia giggled as Ron tried to push Fang away.  
  
The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them (Neptunia told Hagrid that she had already eaten) as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.   
  
They were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git. " and Neptunia nodded while Ron and Harry smiled.  
  
"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her -- Filch puts her up to it. "  
  
Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students to which Neptunia nodded and said that it was really hard to impress him.  
  
"But he seemed to really hate me. "  
  
"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"  
  
Yet Harry couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet his eyes when he said that. Even Neptunia seemed to notice that and glanced at Harry.  
  
"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot -- great with animals. "  
  
Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose when he shared a look with Neptunia who nodded, he realised she was thinking the same as well. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. Neptunia read the article from over his shoulder. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet :  
  
 _GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST  
  
Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown.   
  
Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.   
  
"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.   
_  
Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.   
  
"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

"Maybe we could have seen them! We could have passed them as they walked by!" exclaimed Neptunia, horrified at that thought.  
  
There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet their eyes this time. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again as Neptunia beside him looked to be in deep thought. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?  
  
As Harry, Neptunia and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry? 

Neptunia waved goodbye to the boys and went to the library. Neptunia opened open a book on magical history and events. But as she looked back at the page, she realised she had zoned out for the 20th time. Neptunia took out a piece of parchment and started noting down who she had seen on that day. If she didn't know their name, she numbered them. After all, her drawing was pretty good. She was going to get to the bottom of this. Somehow, it was connected to Professor Dumbledore, Hogwarts and that little package they had seen at Gringotts.


	10. Cereberus

Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy and even Neptunia's insistence of him being misunderstood couldn't stop him. 

Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday -- and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

"Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy. "  
  
He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else. Neptunia had begun to tease him by floating across the halls with her air. Durning free classes or breakfast, she would take them outside, fly and ask them to join. As she had a grin while doing loops, even if they werea bit strained, they said no. Who knows, with that grin...she might drop them.  
  
"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk. "  
  
Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom. Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about soccer. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. Harry had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move.   
  
Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry felt she'd had a good reason because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.   
  
Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book -- not that she hadn't tried. At breakfast, on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages, Neptunia liked to interrupt with her statements about how flying comes from gut and instinct. Neville was hanging on to Hermione's every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.   
  
Harry hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.   
  
A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.   
  
"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things -- this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red -- oh. . . " His face fell because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, ". . . you've forgotten something. . . "  
  
Neptune raised an eyebrow and looked at Neville, who was wearing everything but his School robes. "Yeah, I can see that." 

Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.   
  
Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash. Neptunia's hair was turning orange. She was really annoyed with Draco, no matter how much she reprimanded him, he would still be afraid...Neptunia shook her head as she stood up.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor. "  
  
Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table and cast a look at Neptunia.

"Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.   
  
At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.   
  
The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left. 

Neptunia smirked at Harry and floated a few inches, enough to go unnoticed and enough to get her leverage of a few inches above Harry.   
  
Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.   
  
"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up. "

Neptunia smirk faded, she landed softly and walked forward to a broom with confidence. She couldn't wait to fly. She had always loved to fly, to feel the wind as she flew and when she did tricks? It was an unexplainable feeling of pure euphoria and exhilaration.

Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"  
  
"UP" everyone shouted but Neptunia just said it, not wanting to show her rule over the broom. After all, they were going to be partners in flight.

Surprisingly, the broom flew up to her hand in an instant. She had barely seen it coming. Harry's broom flew up slightly later than hers, he turned to her and wasn't surprised to the broom in her hand already. Hermione's broom rolled around the ground as if sensing her hesitance to fly and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Poor Neville, he probably didn't want to fly at all. 

Neptunia turned to look at Draco who once again shouted 'Up' with a bit more force and the broom flew up to his hand. He looked up to Neptunia and smiled as if proud of his achievement. Neptunia smiled and mimed clapping.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. She had praised Neptunia and gave her a point for having a good grip. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle -- three -- two--"  
  
But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips. 

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle -- twelve feet -- twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and --  
  
WHAM -- a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight. Neptunia sighed and the wind started to blow around as the broom suddenly was coming back to the ground. As soon as it was in reach, she jumped up and held it in hands before keeping it on the ground. Meanwhile, Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.   
  
"Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. "Come on, boy -- it's all right, up you get. "  
  
She turned to the rest of the class.   
  
"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch. ' Come on, dear. "  
  
Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.   
  
No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.   
  
"Did you see his face, the great lump?"  
  
The other Slytherins joined in.   
  
"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.   
  
"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati. "  
  
"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him. "  
  
The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.   
  
"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.   
  
Malfoy smiled nastily. Neptunia's hair turned purple. Anxiously, she watched her friends have a showdown.  
  
"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find -- how about -- up a tree?"  
  
"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"  
  
Harry grabbed his broom.   
  
"No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move -- you'll get us all into trouble. "  
  
Harry ignored her. Blood was pounding in his ears. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him -- and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught -- this was easy, this was wonderful. He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron. 

At the same time, Neptunia had mounted her broom as well and had begun to fly and Hermione who had previously been chastising Harry was now chastising Neptunia. Neptunia was flying with such a grace that none of the first years had seen before. And most of them had seen quidditch matches while she had not.  
  
He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned.   
  
"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"  
  
"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.   
  
Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping. Meanwhile, Neptunia, still purple-haired, was circling beneath them, ready to catch them if they fell.  
  
"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.

The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.   
  
"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.   
  
Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down -- next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball -- wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching -- he stretched out his hand -- a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist. He looked forward -- he was about to crash into the tree -- he threw the ball and yelled, "Neptunia!" who responded with a swift, "Hai!" and flew. Neptunia could see it, this was her chance. The ball was going straight but it would soon go down. As she moved forward, she rolled, keeping the broom in place and caught the remembrall. Meanwhile, Harry had pulled him broom straight upwards and managed to avoid the tree. They slowly stopped and looked at each other smiling. Harry moved downwards and slowly toppled off the broom.

"HARRY POTTER! AND NEPTUNIA BLACK!"  
  
His heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. He got to his feet, trembling. Neptunia sat frozen upon her broom. _Shit_  
  
"Never -- in all my time at Hogwarts--"  
  
Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, " -- how dare you -- might have broken your neck--"  
  
"It wasn't their fault, Professor--"  
  
"Be quiet, Miss Patil--"  
  
"But Malfoy--"  
  
"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, Black follow me, now. "  
  
Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. Neptunia slowly descended and slid off the broom. Harry saw her dejected face and felt pained. Flying was the one thing NEptunia publicly expressed joy for.

They were going to be expelled, Neptunia just knew it. She wanted to say something to defend Harry (since he had gone up with a reason. She hadn't.), but there seemed to be something wrong with her voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at them; they had to jog to keep up. Now she'd done it. She hadn't even lasted two weeks. She'd be packing her bags in ten minutes. She couldn't do anything right could she? She had to mess this up as well. Maybe she should just stop flying. 

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to them. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry and Neptunia trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking him to Dumbledore. Neptunia's hair was a very light shade of purple. Surely, this didn't warrant going to the headmaster?

Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.   
  
"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"  
  
Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him? He turned to Neptunia whose hair had turned white. Actually, she had too. She was breathing a bit irregularly, Harry held her hand and Neptunia snapped out of her daze and looked to Harry. He smiled at her, which Neptunia returned but that didn't stop her hair from remaining white.  
  
But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused. Neptunia's hair went from white to her normal colours and some form of understanding appeared on her face.  
  
"Follow me, you three," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry and Neptunia.   
  
"In here. "  
  
Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.   
  
"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two who were supposedly in trouble.   
  
"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood -- I've found you a Seeker. And this is Neptunia. A wonderful Chaser. "  
  
Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.   
  
"Are you serious, Professor?"  
  
"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural and the girl? Even more so! I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick?"  
  
Harry nodded silently and Neptunia shrugged. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but he didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs. But Neptunia's hair seemed to go to the brighter end of the spectrum as she slowly started to smile.  
  
"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it. And though his throw was off, that roll when she caught it! Amazing!"  
  
Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.   
  
"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, you two?" he asked excitedly.   
  
"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.   
  
"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light -- speedy -- we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor -- a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say. " He stopped and looked towards Neptunia, "Hmm..nice build. Strong arms. Legs seem firm. I'd say give her a decent broom and she could play any position!"  
  
"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks. . . "  
  
Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry and Neptunia.

I want to hear you're training hard, or I may change my mind about punishing you. "  
  
Then she suddenly smiled. Neptunia swore that all her doubt about this teacher disappeared.  
  
"Your father would have been proud, Harry," she said. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself. " 

She looked to Neptunia, "I'm sure you'll make me proud as well."

Harry told Ron what all happened with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it. Neptunia did the same to Hermione.  
  
"That's amazing!" Hermione smiled. "Although, you two shouldn't be rewarded for breaking the rules. 

Neptunia smiled slightly, "Yeah..."

Hermione shook her head in disbelief, "You two must be the youngest players in-"

"A century...I know. Wood told me."

"You seem a bit sad..." Hermione frowned.

"What? Hair give it away?" Neptunia smiled, her fully blue hair betraying her smile. "It's nothing, just something Professor Mcgonagall said to Harry. It got me thinking." They looked towards Harry who was a few seats down explaining to Ron.

"We start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret. " (Neptunia smacked her forehead, "I knew I was forgetting something!")  
  
Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry and Neptunia, and hurried over.   
  
"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too -- Beaters. "  
  
"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You both must be good, Wood was almost skipping when he told us. "  
  
"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school. "  
  
"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you. "

"Hey, Neptunia, mind pranking with us later?" 

Neptunia shook her head and smiled. Her hair regaining its usual colour. 

Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.   
  
"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"  
  
"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.   
  
"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only -- no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"  
  
"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"  
  
Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.   
  
"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked. "  
  
When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.   
  
"What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"  
  
"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway. "  
  
"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"  
  
"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.   
  
"Excuse me. "  
  
They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger behind who was a 'done' Neptunia.  
  
"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.   
  
Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.   
  
"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying--"  
  
"Bet you could," Ron muttered. Neptunia elbowed him and whispered for him to be nice.  
  
"-- and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you. "  
  
"And it's really none of your business," said Harry. Neptunia inhaled a breath of air, her hair turned red. No hint of orange, just pure red.  
  
"Good-bye," said Ron. 

Neptunia turned around grabbed Hermione by the elbow and walked away, dragging a startled Hermione behind.

All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day, Harry thought, as he lay awake much later listening to Dean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back from the hospital wing). Ron had spent all evening giving him advice such as "If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them. " There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris, and Harry felt he was pushing his luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness -- this was his big chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. He couldn't miss it.

"Half-past eleven," Ron muttered at last, "we'd better go. "  
  
They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands, and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase, and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry. "  
  
A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown. Neptunia stood there with her Pajamas. Her hair was blue with red tips.   
  
"You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"  
  
"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy -- he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this. "  
  
Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering. Neptunia sighed.  
  
"Come on," he said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.   
  
Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.   
  
"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells. "

"Not to mention you're already on thin ice, what with the broom incident." interjected Neptunia.   
  
"Go away. "  
  
"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so--"  
  
But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a nighttime visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.   
  
"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly, she turned to Neptunia who had kept an impassive face through the whole ordeal.   
  
"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late. "  
  
They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.   
  
"I'm coming with you," she said.   
  
"You are not. "  
  
"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up. "  
  
"You've got some nerve -- " said Ron loudly.   
  
"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. I heard something. " Neptunia's hair turned even redder as she raised an eyebrow, "You're nobody to give orders."  
  
It was a sort of snuffling.   
  
"Mrs Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark. Neptunia shook her head and walked forward, confidently.  
  
It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer. Neptunia held out a hand so that he could get up. She summoned fire to help Neville get warm. Surely lying on the ground wasn't good.  
  
"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get into bed. "  
  
"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere. "  
  
"How's your arm?" said Harry.   
  
"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute. "  
  
"Good -- well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later--"  
  
"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already. "  
  
Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville, although there was a bit of wariness in his glare when he did it towards Neptunia.   
  
"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you. "  
  
Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward. Neptunia walked slowly behind the group.  
  
They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room.   
  
Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took out his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once. The minutes crept by.   
  
"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered. Neptunia scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Obviously. You'd have to be an idiot to think he'd actually come."

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak -- and it wasn't Malfoy.   
  
"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner. "  
  
It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Horror-struck, Harry waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.   
  
"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding. "  
  
"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armor.   
  
The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle. Neptunia quickly used the air to set it straight.  
  
"RUN!" Harry yelled, and the five of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following -- they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Neptunia in the lead, without any idea where they were or where they were going -- they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.   
  
"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.   
  
"I -- told -- you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I -- told -- you. "  
  
"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible. "  
  
"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you -- Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off. "  
  
Harry thought she was probably right, but he wasn't going to tell her that. He felt awful since he had snapped at her and Neptunia. She had only been trying to help him.  
  
"Let's go. "  
  
It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.   
  
It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.   
  
"Shut up, Peeves -- please -- you'll get us thrown out. " whispered Ron.  
  
Peeves cackled.   
  
"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty. "  
  
"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please. " pleaded Harry.  
  
"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know. "  
  
"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves this was a big mistake.   
  
"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"  
  
Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door -- and it was locked.   
  
"This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!"  
  
They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves's shouts.   
  
"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. Neptunia gave Hermione her wand, who tapped the lock, and whispered, "Alohomora!".  
  
The lock clicked and the door swung open -- they piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.   
  
"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me. "  
  
"Say 'please. '"  
  
"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go ?"  
  
"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.   
  
"All right -- please. "  
  
"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!" And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.   
  
"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay -- get off, Neville!" For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute. "What ?"  
  
Harry turned around -- and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare -- this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.

They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.   
  
They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs. Neptunia stepped between them and the dog instinctively.  
  
It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.   
  
Harry groped for the doorknob -- between Filch and death, he'd take Filch.   
  
They fell backward -- Harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared -- all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.   
  
"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.   
  
"Never mind that -- pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.   
  
It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.   
  
"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does. "  
  
Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on ?"  
  
"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads. "  
  
"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor."

Neptunia rolled her eyes and gave a meaningful look, "It's obviously guarding something, Harry."  
  
Hermione stood up and continued on, "I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed -- or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed. "

Ron stared after her, his mouth open.   
  
"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you."

Neptunia scoffed, "No. But you're the reason we almost got expelled. It's easy for you Ron but for us, Non-magical world residers, getting expelled is losing all connection with this one. And quite frankly, I'd rather die." 

Harry flinched at her blank stare. He'd have to apologise soon. Just not today...he didn't feel like losing the only bit of pride he had left. But Hermione had given Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed. Neptunia was right and she was hinting at something. The dog was guarding something. . . What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide -- except perhaps Hogwarts.   
  
It looked as though they had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.


	11. Flying Session and Cryptid Status

Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful. And one look from Neptunia along with her orange hair made Malfoy wince. Indeed, by the next morning Harry and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one. 

In the meantime, Harry filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.   
  
"Or both," said Harry. 

Neptunia walked past as Harry said it and he opened his mouth to apologise but her orange hair made him think otherwise. He closed his mouth and looked away.  
  
But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.   
  
Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.   
  
Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus though Harry really wanted to make up with Neptunia. But they also really wanted a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.   
  
As the owls flooded into the Great Hall, as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by two long, thin packages carried by six large screech owls each. Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in these large parcels and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of him and Neptunia, knocking his bacon to the floor and covering Neptunia's book as she was reading it. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another two owls dropped letters on top of the parcels.   
  
Neptunia's eyes widened as the parcel came for her, she glanced at Hermione who urgerd her to open her letter, which was lucky, because it said:  
  
 _DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.  
  
It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.   
  
Professor McGonagall_  
  
Neptunia looked towards Harry, who had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note to Ron to read.   
  
"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one. "  
  
They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.   
  
"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them. "  
  
Ron couldn't resist it.   
  
"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus. "  
  
"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig. "  
  
Before Ron could answer, Neptunia showed up. "Draco, what did I say?" 

Draco looked away and muttered something and suddenly Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.   
  
"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.   
  
"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.   
  
"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter and Black. And what model is it?"  
  
"A Nimbus Two Thousand, it is," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.   
  
Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion.   
  
"Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team. . . "  
  
"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's and Neptunia's hand.  
  
"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.   
  
"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good. "  
  
Hermione marched away with her nose in the air as Neptunia called out to her. Neptunia sighed before heading to the Gryffindor Tower to keep it on her bed.  
  
Neptunia couldn't put her usual enthusiasm in studying in class today. She was running through the motions. She just wished Harry and Ron would listen just a little. She also hoped Hermione would loosen up. Surely, the three of them knew of balance! Neptunia also really wanted Draco to stop being a prick, even if today he had grudgingly muttered a 'sorry'. 

When it was time for dinner, Neptunia skipped it and went straight for the broom. She opened it and looked at it in awe. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top. 

She walked down the stairs, glancing round to make sure no one saw her. She wanted to fly around with no one watching her. When she reached the grounds, she mounted the broom and set off.

As she flew around she looked at her surroundings, memorizing the muscle movement and places of the hoops. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end, fifty feet above the ground.

Neptunia moved towards the hoops, when she reached it she jumped over it and her broom went through it. As she fell, she grabbed the broom, she did a sloth-grip roll and righted herself. Moving in exhilaration, she did a few loops. On her last loop, instead of stopping, she went straight up. After going a bit higher, she stopped. Feeling the cold air nip at her skin, she shivered. Neptunia laughed, that was amazing.

"Hey Black!" Neptunia looked down, Oliver Wood had arrived, he had a broom in his hand. Neptunia died down with speed but as she neared the ground she didn't stop but rather pulled it steady and circled around Wood, "Evening Cap'n."

" Very _Very_ nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant. . . you really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week. " He looked around, "Where's Potter?" 

Neptunia glanced at her watch, "It's 6:13, I skipped dinner." 

Wood told her to wait and went inside, he brought a red ball back outside. He sat on his broom and flew upwards. Neptunia quickly followed, hoping to score some goals. He flew towards the hoops and steadied himself in front of the hoops.

"Right," said Wood, sounding as though he had it memorized. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers. "

Neptunia nodded. "This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"

"Yeah, quaffle gets passed around, thrown in the hoop for ten points by chasers."

"Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper -" He pointed to himself "-I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring. "

Neptunia nodded, "The snitch is for a hundred and fifty points which gets caught by the seeker and our beaters beat the bludgers which fly around and try to hit people, right Wood?"

Wood nodded in surprise. Neptunia smiled, "I read Quidditch through the ages. It's a good read."

Wood threw the quaffle to Neptunia who caught it and stared at it. "Come on, try to throw it through the hoops."

And they started, Neptunia would throw it and sometime it would go through and sometimes Oliver would catch. Around forty minutes later, Neptunia was happy to report that out of a hundred throws, she scored ninety-one. Oliver Wood certainly looked very pleased.

When they landed on the ground at 6:53 and started to walk inside so they could freshen up, Neptunia heard Oliver say, "That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year. Our team is going to be unbeatable."

When Oliver asked if she was going to come at 7:00 for more practice, Neptunia declined and told him that Harry should have the focus in this session.

Maybe it was the three practices a week along with her advanced reading tiring her or maybe it was the loneliness from the abandonment from Harry, Ron and Hermione, but Neptunia had taken to going to the Astronomy tower at night to whisper and talk to the flowing wind or to sing her favourite songs.

One day, as she walked through the halls, she heard someone people whisper.

"Did you hear it again last night?"

"Yeah, I did too."

Neptunia raised an eyebrow as she held her book as though she was reading it.

"Some people are saying that it's the tower siren."

"Nah, More like the Whispering Siren. I heard it sing one day and whisper the other."

"Did you hear what it said?"

"Nope.."

Neptunia smiled as she stared at the page in her book, guess she was a cryptid now.


	12. Ten Points to Gryffindor

On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors.

Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan (which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch his eye). Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this. She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived. Neptunia had been paired with Neville, she smiled at him as she sat down next to him.  
  
"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practising!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too -- never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest. "  
  
It was very difficult according to Harry, as he and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it -- Harry had to put it out with his hat.   
  
Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.   
  
"You're saying it wrong," Harry and Neptunia heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing- gar -dium Levi- o -sa, make the 'gar' nice and long. "  
  
"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.   
  
Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"  
  
Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.   
  
"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it! Oh look, Miss Black's done it as well! Good job!"  
  
Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class, Neptunia, however, was beaming. Was it from Professor Flitwick's praise or Neville's talk, Harry couldn't tell.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," Ron said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly. "  
  
Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face -- and was startled to see that she was in tears.   
  
"I think she heard you. "  
  
"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends. " Harry felt bad, but he was surprised when Neptunia came over, her hair green with fire blazing at the tips, "How DARE you! YOU may not be her friend but I AM! And YOU had better apologise before I break you." Harry was surprised when she turned to him, "I'm disappointed in you Harry. I thought you knew what it was like."

Neptunia turned around and walked away, her hair turning back to normal. Harry saw her look back before walking in the direction Hermione went in.  
  
Hermione and Neptunia didn't turn up for the next class and weren't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone but Neptunia wasn't leaving and kept shouting about how 'they' were insensitive idiots who didn't deserve their time. Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione and Neptunia out of their minds.   
  
A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.   
  
Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll -- in the dungeons -- thought you ought to know. "  
  
He then sank to the floor in a dead faint. There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.   
  
"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"  
  
Percy was in his element.   
  
"Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"  
  
"How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.   
  
"Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke. "  
  
They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly grabbed Ron's arm.   
  
"I've just thought -- Hermione.Neptunia. "  
  
"What about them?"  
  
"They don't know about the troll. "  
  
Ron bit his lip.   
  
"Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy'd better not see us. "  
  
Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.   
  
"Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Harry behind a large stone griffin.   
  
Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.   
  
"What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"  
  
"Search me. "  
  
Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps.   
  
"He's heading for the third floor," Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.   
  
"Can you smell something?"  
  
Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.   
  
And then they heard it -- a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed -- at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.   
  
It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.   
  
The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.   
  
"The keys in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in. "  
  
"Good idea," said Ron nervously.   
  
They edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't about to come out of it. With one great leap, Harry managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.

"Yes!"  
  
Flushed with their victory, they started to run back up the passage, but as they reached the corner they heard something that made their hearts stop -- a high, petrified scream and a shout of 'Hermione, Get behind me!' -- and it was coming from the chamber they'd just chained up.   
  
"Oh, no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron.   
  
"It's the girls' bathroom!" Harry gasped.   
  
"Hermione!" they said together.   
  
It was the last thing they wanted to do, but what choice did they have? Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Harry pulled the door open and they ran inside.   
  
Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went. Neptunia looked like she was in her element, using the stones to hit it or the water to spray it in the face, but it aggravated the troll more as it kept on advancing.  
  
"Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.   
  
The troll stopped a few feet from Neptunia. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.   
  
"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it.   
  
"Come on, run, run!" Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror. Neptunia turned around and pushed Hermione with air as she turned back to the troll using the elements to keep it confused. Hermione was out of the fight's vicinity and in a safe place.  
  
The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.   
  
Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid: He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he'd jumped - it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils. Neptunia didn't know whether to be exasperated or proud as she shouted, "Harry!!"  
  
Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.   
  
Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand -- not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"  
  
The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over -- and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll didn't seem that much affected, he shook himself and started to reach for his back when two rocks the size of the troll's fist were lifted into the air on both the sides of its head. There was a clapping sound and both the rocks collided with the troll's head. It swayed on the spot before falling forwards to the ground where it landed with a thump.  
  
Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done. Neptunia was standing there in front of him, as if protecting him, with her arms outstretched and palms connected.   
  
It was Hermione who spoke first.   
  
"Is it -- dead?"  
  
"I don't think so," said Harry, I think it's just been knocked out. "  
  
He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue.   
  
"Urgh -- troll boogers. "  
  
He wiped it on the troll's trousers. He turned to see NEptunia fussing over Hermione and Ron before turning to him.

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up, Neptunia, however, was still checking for any injuries. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.   
  
Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Harry. Harry had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white. Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Harry's mind.   
  
"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Snape gave Harry a swift, piercing look. Harry looked at the floor. He wished Ron would put his wand down.   
  
Then a small voice came out of the shadows.   
  
"Please, Professor McGonagall -- they were looking for me. "  
  
"Miss Granger!"  
  
Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last. Neptunia turned towards Hermione, her shoulders relaxing from their tense position.  
"I went looking for the troll because I -- I thought I could deal with it on my own -- you know, because I've read all about them. "  
  
Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?  
  
"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron irritated it with its own club. Neptunia knocked it out with her elemental powers when she used rocks. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."  
  
Harry and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them. Neptunia sighed and went over to stand by Hermione, looking as though she was disappointed-- in who? Harry couldn't tell.  
  
"Well -- in that case. . . " said Professor McGonagall, staring at the four of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"  
  
Hermione hung her head. Harry was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.   
  
"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses. "  
  
Hermione left.   
  
Professor McGonagall turned to Neptunia, Harry and Ron.   
  
"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go. "  
  
They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.   
  
"We should have gotten more than fifteen points," Ron grumbled.   
  
"Ten, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's. " Neptunia said looking as though she had enough.  
  
"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we did save her. "  
  
"She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Harry reminded him. 

Neptunia scoffed and folded her arms, "She might not have needed saving if you two had been nice." 

Harry and Ron winced and the both of them sheepishly murmured out a sorry.  
  
They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.   
  
"Pig snout," they said and entered.   
  
The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all (except Neptunia) said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates. Neptunia shook her head, grabbed a plate and sat down with Hermione to talk about their next class.  
  
But from that moment on, the four of them became friends. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.


	13. It's not him!

As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots. 

Neptunia liked to bundle up at four in the morning to use an elemental portal spell to visit Ora and the nine-year-old girl whose name as Neptunia had learned was Regalia. Neptunia like to tease her by saying she was made for it, Regalia just stuck her tongue out. Fortunately, while she was on her visits, she unlocked a new hidden ability. Tele-Empathy. It was a mix of Telepathy and Empathy, Neptunia liked it once the overload of all the emotions and thoughts had worn off. She also learned how to shut off minds and their emotions but sometimes, she'd forget her box and they'd all leak out, causing Neptunia to perform a breach of privacy...not that anyone knew.

But to Neptunia's delight, Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Neptunia and Harry would be playing in their first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship.   
  
Hardly anyone had seen them play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, they should be kept, well, secret. But the news that Harry was playing Seeker and NEptunia was the new chaser instead of Alicia Spinnet, who had become the reserve, had leaked out somehow, and Harry didn't know which was worse -- people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress, but when it came to Neptunia she'd quip back with some one-line that made Harry wish that he had that kind of confidence.  
  
It was really lucky that Harry now had Hermione as a friend and Neptunia was talking to him again. He didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without them, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. Unsurprisingly, Neptunia didn't experience the same trouble he had since she'd finish hers that day it was assigned. Hermione, though, had lent him Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.   
  
Harry learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.   
  
Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it. 

The day before Harry's first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during the break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar, Neptunia was around them, using her fire and creating animals that warmed them in places the jar couldn't be kept, like near their hands. They were standing with their backs to the jar, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Harry noticed at once that Snape was limping, Neptunia had as well if her hair was anything to go by. Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. Neptunia lazily flicked her hand behind her back and extinguished the fire, unbeknownst to the other three. 

Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway. Neptunia let out an exasperated sigh and briefly wondered if all the seven years were going to be like this.  
  
"What's that you've got there, Potter?"  
  
It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Harry showed him.   
  
"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor. "  
  
"He's just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"  
  
"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly. Neptunia made no comment as her usual hair colour turned lighter than it was as she stared at Snape's retreating back.  
  
The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harry, Ron, Neptunia and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway. Neptunia, however, was reading a book as fire and water animals floated around the room as a few people 'ooh'ed and 'ah'ed.  
  
Harry felt restless. He wanted Quidditch Through the Ages back, to take his mind off his nerves about tomorrow. Why should he be afraid of Snape? Getting up, he told Neptunia, Ron and Hermione he was going to ask Snape if he could have it.   
  
"Better you than me," Hermione and Ron said together, but Harry had an idea that Snape wouldn't refuse if there were other teachers listening. Neptunia got up and said that she was gonna be backup.  
  
They made his way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Nothing. He glanced at Neptunia who had closed her and looked as though she was deeply concentrating.  
  
Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? It was worth a try. He pushed the door ajar and peered inside - and a horrible scene met his eyes.   
  
Snape and Filch were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages.   
  
"Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"  
  
Harry tried to shut the door quietly, but --  
  
"POTTER!"  
  
Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Harry gulped.   
  
"I just wondered if I could have my book back. "  
  
"GET OUT! OUT!"  
  
Harry left before Snape could take any more points from Gryffindor. He sprinted back upstairs, once he reached, he realized, as he told Ron and Hermione what happened, that Neptunia hadn't run alongside him. 

Back with Neptunia, whose hair had turned purple, walked in and seized the bandages from Snape. "UNCLE SEV! Don't tell me you went near that dog! Tell me you didn't go near that dog."

Filch slowly backed out and left the room. Uncle Sev, wisely, remained silent as Neptunia let out a sharp breath. She started wrapping the bandages but froze as he said, "And how do _you_ know about the Cerberus?" Neptunia to her credit quickly recovered. "You said three heads, I know Hagrid likes Dragons and Dogs. I assumed the worst and...Cereberus. Yeah."

"Why was Potter with you?"

"Harry wanted his book back, it was from the library. There was no need to shout. You startled both of us."

"What.."

"I..um," Neptunia hesitated, "I'm a Tele-Empath. Telepathy and Empathy." She finished tying the bandage and looked up. 

Uncle Sev looked at her, the X-raying feeling was back. Neptunia smiled as met his gaze head-on as she locked her mind and went into his.

_I can speak into, feel and read minds. You, however, aren't getting into mine without my permission. So there!_

For added measure, she stuck out her tongue. Uncle Sev looked surprised to say the least, before he smiled. "You have a strong shield, I assume you have read about it?"

Neptunia nodded before she turned to her uncle, "Who do you think let the troll in? Harry thinks it's you but I think it's Quirrel. My scar hurt when he was talking to you at the begining of the year."

Uncle Sev nodded, "I see." He paused, "It's your curfew. Go to bed."

Neptunia smiled as she grabbed Harry's book from the table and ran out of the room. When she reached the tower, everyone had fallen asleep. She left the book on the table where Harry could find it along with a note from her. 

The next morning dawned very brightly and cold but Neptunia was glad, she could use the cold to her advantage. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.   
  
"You've got to eat some breakfast. "  
  
"I don't want anything," said Harry.  
  
"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.   
  
"I'm not hungry. "  
  
Harry felt terrible. In an hour's time he'd be walking onto the field.   
  
"Harry, you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team. "

"Thanks, Seamus," said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages. Neptunia grabbed his hand and squeezed. He turned to her, who looked as nervous as him. He realized, that she hadn't eaten anything either.  
  
By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.   
  
Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said Potter for President, and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors. For Neptunia, they had made another banner which said, 'Black is the new Gold', Hermione performed the same charm on it as well.

Meanwhile, in the locker room, Harry and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green).   
  
Wood cleared his throat for silence.   
  
"Okay, men," he said.   
  
"And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson.   
  
"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it. "  
  
"The big one," said Fred Weasley.   
  
"The one we've all been waiting for," said George.   
  
"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Harry and Neptunia, "we were on the team last year. "  
  
"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it. "  
  
He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else. "  
  
"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you. "  
  
Harry followed Fred and George out of the locker room and, hoping his knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers. In front of him, Neptunia stood along with the other chasers, Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell.  
  
Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.   
  
"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. Harry noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a sixth year. Harry thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing 'Potter for President' and 'Black is the new Gold' over the crowd. His heart skipped. He felt braver, he grinned at Neptunia who wore a smirk as she was sporting red hair with gold highlights.   
  
"Mount your brooms, please. "  
  
Neptunia slid onto her Nimbus Two Thousand.   
  
Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.   
  
Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.   
  
"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor -- what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too--"  
  
"JORDAN!"  
  
"Sorry, Professor. "  
  
The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.   
  
"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Katie, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve -- to Neptunia Black, a new blood here-- back to Johnson and -- no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes -- Flint flying like an eagle up there -- he's going to sc -- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle -- that's Chaser Katie of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and -- OUCH -- that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger -- Quaffle taken by the Slytherins -- that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goalposts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger -- sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which -- Neptunia yelled as she flew by, "It's George!"-- nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Black back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes -- she's really flying amazingly -- dodges two speeding Bludgers -- the goalposts are ahead -- come on, now, Neptunia -- Keeper Bletchley dives -- misses -- GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins. Neptunia grinned as waved a hand and moved back into the game. This was amazing, her first goal. She really didn't want this match to stop.   
  
\---

  
"Budge up there, move along. "  
  
"Hagrid!"  
  
Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them.   
  
"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"  
  
"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet. Neptunia scored a goal though."  
  
"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin', an' I knew she would," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Harry.   
  
Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of his and Wood's game plan.   
  
"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be. "  
  
When Neptunia had scored, Harry had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let off his feelings. Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once he caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches, and once a Bludger decided to come pelting his way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Harry dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.   
  
"All right there, Harry?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint.   
  
"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the -- wait a moment -- was that the Snitch?"  
  
A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.   
  
Harry saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch -- all the Chasers except Neptunia, who grabbed the quaffle and was speeding towards the goalposts, seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.   
  
Harry was faster than Higgs -- he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead -- he put on an extra spurt of speed --  
  
WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below -- Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.   
  
"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.   
  
Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goalposts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again. Although Neptunia had scored when all the other chasers had stopped.  
  
Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"  
  
"What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron.   
  
"Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"  
  
"But this isn't soccer, Dean," Ron reminded him.   
  
Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side.   
  
"They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air. "  
  
Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.   
  
"So -- after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating--"  
  
"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.   
  
"I mean, after that open and revolting foul. . . "  
  
"Jordan, I'm warning you--"  
  
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Bell, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession. "  
  
It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened. His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, he thought he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. He'd never felt anything like that.

It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off. But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Harry tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal-posts -- he had half a mind to ask Wood to call time-out -- and then he realized that his broom was completely out of his control. He couldn't turn it. He couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him.   
  
Lee was still commentating.   
  
"Slytherin in possession -- Flint with the Quaffle -- passes Black -- passes Bell -- hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose -- only joking, Professor -- Slytherins score -- A no. . . "  
  
The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Harry's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.   
  
"Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom. . . but he can't have. . . "  
  
Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.   
  
"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.   
  
"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic -- no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand. "  
  
At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd.   
  
"What are you doing?" moaned Ron, grey-faced.   
  
"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape -- look. "  
  
Ron grabbed the binoculars. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath.   
  
"He's doing something -- jinxing the broom," said Hermione.   
  
"What should we do?"  
  
"Leave it to me. "  
  
Before Ron could say another word, Hermione had disappeared. Ron turned the binoculars back on Harry. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good - every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored three times without anyone noticing except for Neptunia who stopped him two times and trying hard to stop him from scoring more.   
  
"Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.   
  
Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front. Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes.   
  
It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row -- Snape would never know what had happened.   
  
It was enough. Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.   
  
"Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.   
  
Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick -- he hit the field on all fours -- coughed -- and something gold fell into his hand.   
  
"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion. Neptunia, however, sped towards him, jumped off her broom when it still three feet in the air, tackled Harry and laughed.  
  
"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference -- Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results -- Gryffindor had won by one hundred and eighty points to forty. Harry heard none of this, though. He and Neptunia were being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron and Hermione.

"It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you. "  
  
"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?" Neptunia nodded as she thought back to when she saw Hermione in the stands pushing people.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.   
  
"I found out something about him," he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding. "  
  
Hagrid dropped the teapot. Neptunia looked confused, "Why though?"  
  
"How do you know about Fluffy?" Hagrid said.   
  
"Fluffy ?"  
  
"Yeah -- he's mine -- bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year -- I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the--"  
  
"Yes?" said Harry eagerly. Neptunia kept her mind closed. She didn't want to get a headache.  
  
"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top-secret, that is. "  
  
"But Snape's trying to steal it. "  
  
"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort. "  
  
"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione. 

The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed Hermione's mind about Snape.   
  
"I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"  
  
Neptunia shook her head, "He didn't! Counter-Curses require the same thing."

"Neptunia's right an' I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh -- yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel--"  
  
"Aha!" said Harry. Neptunia continued his exclamation, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"  
  
Hagrid looked furious with himself. Neptunia frowned, she heard that name somewhere. Somewhere around the time during the train ride to Hogwarts...where though?


	14. Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

Christmas was coming. Neptunia could feel it, the sluggishness of animals; the numbness in the plants' veins and just the general feeling in the air confirmed her thoughts. Not that she minded, because honestly? It was the best season because she got to wear all kinds of snarky hoodies. 

One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again. Neptunia assisted him a few times by communicating with the animals.

No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all was Uncle Sev's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons. Neptunia, however, was being used by all as a personal heater as she turned her hair into the hot but harmless fire.  
  
"I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home. "  
  
He was looking over at Harry as he spoke. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled. Harry, who was measuring out the powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them. Neptunia who had been sitting behind Malfoy turned frigid and Harry smirked, looks like Malfoy will be suffering for the next half hour.

Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next. Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick. So Malfoy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Harry about having no proper family, which in turn angered Neptunia but instead of turning into her usual fire, she had managed to control it and turn it into ice. When Harry asked her about this, she simply said that she was practising controlling her emotions.

It was true that Harry wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas, neither was Neptunia. Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up at once along with Neptunia. He didn't feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas he'd ever had. Ron and his brothers were staying, too, because Mr and Mrs Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie.

Neptunia felt relieved that she didn't have to go to the cold and draft orphanage. No doubt it had been rebuilt and remodelled as promised but she didn't want to face the awful memories associated with that place.

When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.  
  
"Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches.  
  
"Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron. "

Neptunia poked her head through as well, "You sure? I could lift it up and it'll be done?"  
  
"Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoy's cold drawl from behind them. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose -- that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to. "  
  
Ron dived at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs. Neptunia stepped forward but stopped.  
  
"WEASLEY!"  
  
Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes. Neptunia stepped forward standing in between the two facing Draco. Just...why?!  
  
"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family. " Neptunia nodded, "That's right sir."   
  
"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you. "  
  
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking. Neptunia glared at Draco who stopped, ducked his head and walked away.  
  
"I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him--"  
  
"I hate them both," said Harry, "Malfoy and Snape. "  
  
"Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat. "  
  
So the four of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.  
  
"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree -- put it in the far corner, would you?"  
  
The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.  
  
"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.  
  
"Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me -- Harry, Ron, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library. "  
  
"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.  
  
"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"

"Oh, we're not working," Harry told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is. "

"You what ?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here -- I've told yeh -- drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'. "  
  
"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.  
  
"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere -- just give us a hint. "  
  
Neptunia was staring off, frowning, "I know I've read it somewhere. My mind is a bit uncooperative these days." She looked away murmuring, "Maybe it's the influx of emotions...hmm."

"I'm sayin' nothin', said Hagrid flatly.  
  
"Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.  
  
They had indeed been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal? ("I'm telling you guys! It's Quirrel! That bastard reeks of darkness!" You can just guess who said that.) The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical Names of Our Time ; he was missing, too, from Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry. And then, of course, there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows.  
  
Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random. Harry wandered over to the Restricted Section. Neptunia was talking to Madam Pince. He had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and he knew he'd never get one. These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts.  
  
"What are you looking for, boy?"  
  
"Nothing," said Harry.  
  
Madam Pince the librarian brandished a feather duster at him. NEptunia was standing behind her, staring exasperatedly at Harry.  
  
"You'd better get out, then. Go on -- out!"  
  
Wishing he'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Harry left the library. He, Ron, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Snape hearing what they were up to. Neptunia, however, didn't agree and she was chatting with Madam Pince about various magical discoveries.  
  
Harry waited outside in the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but he wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for two weeks, after all, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks.  
  
Five minutes later, Ron and Hermione joined him, shaking their heads. Neptunia came out smiling but she just winked (I'll charm Madam Pince, all librarians like a quiet nerd). They went off to lunch.  
  
"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything. "  
  
"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them. "  
  
"Very safe, as they're both dentists," said Hermione dryly. Neptunia giggled and nudged her.  
  
Once the holidays had started, Ron and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel. They had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork -- bread, English muffins, marshmallows -- and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.  
  
Ron also started teaching Harry wizard chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Ron's set was very old and battered. Like everything else he owned, it had once belonged to someone else in his family -- in this case, his grandfather. However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted.  
  
Harry played with chessmen Seamus Finnigan had lent him, and they didn't trust him at all. He wasn't a very good player yet and they kept shouting different bits of advice at him, which was confusing. "Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him, we can afford to lose him."

Neptunia, on the other hand, had been reading up on different kinds of wands and what they meant, she was starting to think that each wand had a personality which suited each owner and magically gravitate towards them. Neptunia would sometimes go to a boulder beyond the Black Lake and sketch out anything. Sometimes, she'd go to the kitchens for a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. Neptunia had also learned wizard's chess and beat Harry twice and Ron once. Also, whenever Seamus's pieces would give her advice, she would do the exact opposite of what they said, making them shut up.

On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all. He was woken up the next day with Neptunia jumping on the foot of his bed before she leapt and landed on Ron's bed.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!" She yelled.

Harry woke up and wore his glasses, surprised to see a pile of presents. Ron woke as well, but he did so slowly. 

Neptunia smiled and left them to their own devices. She ran up to her own dormitory. She had a small pile. She had gotten a muggle novel from Hermione, a bunch of coloured hair ties from Harry, A lumpy parcel which contained a dark grey turtle neck sweater with the Hogwarts logo on it along with homemade fudge. She smiled and wore it immediately and went to the present from Uncle Sev who had gotten her a few books on Mind Shielding and what not. From Hagrid, she had gotten a small wooden owl which looked like it was hand-carved. Neptunia smiled and decided that she would paint it later. From Draco, she had gotten a few watercolours and a notebook for her sketches. She had laughed when she realised she had gotten paint but not the kind she needed for the wood. 

Neptunia, herself, bought a few gifts for the others. Neptunia got Hermione a book as well, one that Hermione said that she wanted to read. For Harry, she got a book on Quidditch plays. She got Ron, a new set of chess pieces. For Uncle Sev, she bought a bunch of labels and markers because the old ones were peeling off and she wanted to give him a hint. For Hagrid, she got a book on muggle animals extinct and living. For Draco, she got a potions supplies kit since he liked to experiment. Neptunia got up and wrote a quick thank you letter for Mrs Weasley which she decided to mail later.

Neptunia walked downstairs and laughed as she saw the twins frog-marched Percy. Neptunia smiled, yeah. She could get used to this. This feeling of home.

Harry and Neptunia had never in all their life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce - and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. These fantastic party favours were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside. Harry pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice. Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him. Neptunia sat beside her Uncle Sev as she nudged him no and then and he sported a small amused smirk.  
  
Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver sickle embedded in his slice. Harry watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Harry's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided. He glanced at Neptunia who was sporting a similar expression to him.  
  
When Harry finally left the table, he was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of nonexplodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and his own new wizard chess set like Ron's. The white mice had disappeared and Harry had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as Mrs Norris's Christmas dinner. Neptunia looked at the mice and pointed a direction for hiding and they quickly saluted her and disappeared. Not that anyone noticed this.  
  
Harry, Neptunia and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds. Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Harry broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron, who also broke in his new chess set. Harry suspected he wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help him so much.  
  
After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge. Neptunia lay in front of him on the couch reading the muggle book, The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart, given to her by Hermione. Harry felt scared when Neptunia started crying before she quickly wiped her tears and smiled reassuringly at him.

It had been Harry's best Christmas day ever. Yet something had been nagging at the back of his mind all day. Not until he climbed into bed was he free to think about it: the invisibility cloak and whoever had sent it.  
  
Ron, full of turkey and cake and with nothing mysterious to bother him, fell asleep almost as soon as he'd drawn the curtains of his four-poster. Harry leaned over the side of his own bed and pulled the cloak out from under it.  
  
His father's. . . this had been his father's. He let the material flow over his hands, smoother than silk, light as air. Use it well, the note had said.  
  
He had to try it, now. He slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around himself. Looking down at his legs, he saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling.  
  
Use it well.  
  
Suddenly, Harry felt wide-awake. The whole of Hogwarts was open to him in this cloak. Excitement flooded through him as he stood there in the dark and silence. He could go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Filch would never know.  
  
Ron grunted in his sleep. Should Harry wake him? Something held him back -- his father's cloak -- he felt that this time -- the first time -- he wanted to use it alone. But then he stopped, Neptunia had been there for all his first experiences. It would be odd to start without her. After all, they were best friends, weren't they?

He crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room and was about to turn towards the girls' dormitory when he saw Neptunia sleeping on the couch, book that she was reading in hand along with a pencil. He walked towards her and woke her up. Explaining everything, he told her that he wanted her to be there even if it was his father's.

They together got under it and walked out the portrait hole. "Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady. They said nothing. They walked quickly down the corridor.

Where should they go? Harry stopped, his heart racing, and thought. And then it came to him. The Restricted Section in the library. He'd be able to read as long as he liked, as long as it took to find out who Flamel was. He looked towards Neptunia who nodded. Drawing the invisibility cloak tight around them, they walked towards the library.  
  
The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Harry lit a lamp to see his way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in midair, and even though Harry could feel his arm supporting it, the sight gave him the creeps. Neptunia was just grinning.

The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, he held up his lamp to read the titles.  
  
They didn't tell him much. Their peeling faded gold letters spelt words in languages Harry couldn't understand. Neptunia was tilting her head at a few of them. He would ask her later. Some had no title at all. One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood. The hairs on the back of Harry's neck prickled. Maybe he was imagining it, maybe not, but he thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be. Neptunia dragged him forward. 

She walked forwards searching for a book. She dragged her fingers across different spines trying to use the new trick she had learned.  
  
Meanwhile, Harry was thinking hard. He had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, he looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught his eye. He pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on his knee, let it fall open.  
  
A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence -- the book was screaming! Harry snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, earsplitting note. He stumbled backward and knocked over his lamp, which went out at once. Neptunia rushed towards him. Panicking, he heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside -- stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf, he ran for it. They passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through them, and they slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor, the book's shrieks still ringing in their ears.  
  
He came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armor. He had been so busy getting away from the library, he hadn't paid attention to where he was going. Perhaps because it was dark, he didn't recognize where he was at all. There was a suit of armour near the kitchens, he knew, but he must be five floors above there. Neptunia was looking around trying to figure where they were.  
  
"You asked me to come directly to you, Professor if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library Restricted Section. "  
  
Harry felt the blood drain out of his face and Neptunia's hair turned lighter. Wherever they were, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to his horror but to Neptunia's relief, it was Snape who replied, "The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them. "  
  
They stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see them, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into them -- the cloak didn't stop them from being solid.  
  
They backed away as quietly as they could. A door stood ajar to their left. It was their only hope. They squeezed through it, holding their breath, trying not to move it, and to his relief and Neptunia's as well. They managed to get inside the room without them noticing anything. They walked straight past, and Harry leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away. Neptunia just slid down, eyes closed. That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before he noticed anything about the room he had hidden in.  
  
It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket -- but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.  
  
It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. His panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Harry moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at himself but see no reflection again. He stepped in front of it.  
  
He had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He whirled around. His heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed -- for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him.  
  
But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror.  
  
There he was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there, reflected behind him, were at least ten others. Harry looked over his shoulder -- but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was he in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?  
  
He looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind his reflection was smiling at him and waving. He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If she was really there, he'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air - she and the others existed only in the mirror.

She was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes -- her eyes are just like mine, Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green -- exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall, thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just as Harry's did.  
  
Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection.  
  
"Mom?" he whispered. "Dad?"  
  
They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of green eyes like his, other noses like his, even a little old man who looked as though he had Harry's knobbly knees -- Harry was looking at his family, for the first time in his life.  
  
The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness.

He turned and pulled Neptunia to it, she turned to him about to scold him but she caught sight of the mirror. She looked at the writing and then looked in it. 

Neptunia gasped and blinked fast. She saw a man. His face appeared full of laughter. He had fair skin, medium, lustrous black hair, striking grey eyes like hers, and an air of 'casual elegance' He smiled at her. She looked towards the woman beside him, she looked quite like her. Her hair black, reaching down to her waist in a french braid. Just like mine, Neptunia thought. They both had arms around each other and one hand each on her. Behind them, Uncle Sev was standing, not quite smiling but he was happy, along with Draco who was full-on grinning. On the left of the man, who Neptunia figured was her father was Harry and what she assumed to be his parents. He really was a carbon-copy of his dad. Next to them was a man who looked young but had light brown hair. He had a few scars and she assumed this was her Godfather. She looked towards her the people standing near her Uncle. It was the Weasleys and Hermione along with all the children from the orphanage who were hugging her. 

Neptunia was about to let out a choked sob but she covered her mouth with her hand. How her heart ached, she wanted to meet her parents. Her family. She stepped closer and pressed her forehead to reach them. Neptunia backed up a bit and held Harry's hand. They both stood there, holding hands and watching their families.

How long they stood there, they didn't know. The reflections did not fade and they looked and looked until a distant noise brought them back to his senses. They couldn't stay here, they had to find their way back to bed. Harry tore his eyes away from his mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room and Neptunia whispered the same and followed him.

"You could have woken me up," said Ron, crossly.  
  
"You can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror." said Harry eagerly

"I'd like to see your mom and dad," Ron said just as eagerly.  
  
"And I want to see all your family, all the Weasleys, you'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone. "  
  
"You can see them any old time," said Ron. "Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, maybe it only shows dead people. Shame about not finding Flamel, though. Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?"  
  
Harry couldn't eat. He had seen his parents and would be seeing them again tonight. He had almost forgotten about Flamel. It didn't seem very important anymore. Who cared what the three-headed dog was guarding? What did it matter if Snape stole it, really? 

Neptunia stared at him, eyes wide. In her musings, her mind had opened up and she heard him. Harry really wouldn't let anyone with ill intent steal the stone! On the other hand, wasn't she just thinking the same thing (replaced with Quirrel, of course.) How had their thought process twisted so much?  
  
"Are you all right?" said Ron. "You look odd."

Neptunia shook her head, "I'm fine."

With Ron covered in the cloak, too, they had to walk much more slowly the next night. They tried retracing Harry's route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour.  
  
"I'm freezing," said Ron. "Let's forget it and go back. "  
  
"No!" Harry hissed. I know it's here somewhere. "  
  
They passed the ghost of a tall witch gliding in the opposite direction but saw no one else. just as Ron started moaning that his feet were dead with cold, Harry spotted the suit of armour.  
  
"It's here -- just here -- yes!"  
  
They pushed the door open. Harry dropped the cloak from around his shoulders and ran to the mirror.  
  
There they were. His mother and father beamed at the sight of him.  
  
"See?" Harry whispered.  
  
"I can't see anything. "  
  
"Look! Look at them all. . . there are loads of them. . . "  
  
"I can only see you. "  
  
"Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am. "  
  
Harry stepped aside, but with Ron in front of the mirror, he couldn't see his family anymore, just Ron in his paisley pajamas.  
  
Ron, though, was staring transfixed at his image.  
  
"Look at me!" he said.  
  
"Can you see all your family standing around you?"  
  
"No -- I'm alone -- but I'm different -- I look older -- and I'm head boy!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I am -- I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to -- and I'm holding the house cup and the Quidditch cup -- I'm Quidditch captain, too. "  
  
Ron tore his eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at Harry.  
  
"Do you think this mirror shows the future?"  
  
"How can it? All my family are dead -- let me have another look--"  
  
"You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time. "  
  
"You're only holding the Quidditch cup, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents." "Don't push me--"

A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion. They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking.  
  
"Quick!"  
  
Ron threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris came round the door. Neptunia, Ron and Harry stood quite still, both thinking the same thing -- did the cloak work on cats? After what seemed an age, she turned and left.  
  
"This isn't safe -- she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. Come on. "  
  
And Ron pulled Harry out of the room.  
  
The snow still hadn't melted the next morning. Neptunia was sitting on her usual spot using her water-colours. Ron smiled at her and Neptunia returned one back. Ron turned to Harry, who looked a bit distracted. They glanced at each other.  
  
"Want to play chess, Harry?" said Ron.  
  
"No. "  
  
"Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?" suggested Neptunia, once she put her water-colours aside.  
  
"No. . . you guys go. . . "  
  
"I know what you're thinking about, Harry, that mirror. Don't go back tonight. " said Ron.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it -- and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already. Filch, Snape, and Mrs. Norris are wandering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?" Ron said as Neptunia looked away.  
  
"You sound like Hermione. "  
  
"I'm serious, Harry, don't go. "  
  
But Harry only had one thought in his head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and Ron and Neptunia weren't going to stop him.  
  
That third night he found his way more quickly than before. He was walking so fast he knew he was making more noise than was wise, but he didn't meet anyone. And there were his mother and father smiling at him again, and one of his grandfathers nodding happily. Harry sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop him from staying here all night with his family. Nothing at all.

The door creaked behind him, he turned around to see Neptunia, "Harry..."

Harry stood up, "You can't stop me from seeing this mirror."

Neptunia looked at the mirror before looking at him, "I know what you're feeling Harry. I see them too. My mom, dad, you and your family, Uncle Sev, my godfather, Draco, The Weasleys, The kids who used to be with me at the orphanage. Last night...couldn't see how impulsive it made us?" 

Harry looked away from Neptunia towards the Mirror, towards his family. Neptunia was distressed, she turned around to walk away to call a teacher, only to find--

"So -- back again, Harry? And, Neptunia. I see you figured it out."

Harry felt as though his insides had turned to ice. He looked behind him. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore. Harry must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror he hadn't noticed him.

"I -- I didn't see you, sir. "  
  
"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore, and Harry was relieved to see that he was smiling. Neptunia sat down beside Harry and put her head on his shoulder.  
  
"So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Harry, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I didn't know it was called that, Sir. " said Harry at the same time as Neptunia who scoffed, "Real subtle name."  
  
"But I expect you've realized by now what it does?" said Dumbledore smiling.  
  
"It -- well -- it shows me my family--"  
  
"And it showed your friend Ron himself as head boy. "  
  
"How did you know -- ?"  
  
"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"  
  
Harry thought. Then he said slowly, "It shows us what we want. . . whatever we want. . . "

"Yes and no," said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. Neptunia sees the same as you, but she also sees found family as well." He looked towards Neptunia who discreetly wiped a few tears. He looked back towards Harry. "However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"

Neptunia stood up and pulled Harry up as well. He looked towards Professor Dumbledore. 

"Sir -- Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"

"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. Neptunia smiled, shaking her head. "You may ask me one more thing, however. "  
  
"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"  
  
"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks. "  
  
Harry stared and Neptunia laughed.  
  
"One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books. "

It was only when he was back in bed that it struck Harry that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful. But then, he thought, as he shoved Scabbers off his pillow, it had been quite a personal question.

Neptunia, however, was plotting to get the Professor some socks next year as a joke. Because it was quite obvious that he had deflected the question.


	15. *facepalm*

Dumbledore had convinced Harry not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again, and for the rest of the Christmas holidays, the invisibility cloak stayed folded at the bottom of his trunk. Harry wished he could forget what he'd seen in the mirror as easily, but he couldn't. He started having nightmares. Over and over again he dreamed about his parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter. When one day he told Neptunia about his dreams, she hugged him and cried. She told him about how she saw Voldemort kill their parents in her dreams in vivid clarity ever since she could remember. She told him how it had slowly decreased but it started once again since she saw her parents in the mirror. They released each other from the hug. 

Later, when Neptunia left for wherever she went. He told Ron, "You see, Dumbledore was right, that mirror could drive you mad," He said.

Hermione, who came back the day before term started, took a different view of things. She was torn between horror at the idea of Harry being out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row ("If Filch had caught you!"), and disappointment that he hadn't at least found out who Nicolas Flamel was. But Neptunia was on a deep search in the older parts of the library so she couldn't make her insistence (alongside Harry) that she had heard the name before.

They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Harry and Neptunia were still sure they'd read the name somewhere. Once term had started, they were back to skimming through books for ten minutes during their breaks. Harry and Neptunia had even less time than the other two because Quidditch practise had started again.

Wood was working the team harder than ever. Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits. The Weasleys complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic but Neptunia gave them a mini-lecture if they tried to say so, she claimed that it was better that way, and she was right. Harry thought. Harry was on Wood's side. If they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the house championship for the first time in seven years. Quite apart from wanting to win, Harry found that he had fewer nightmares when he was tired out after training. One look at Neptunia confirmed the thought that even she had fewer nightmares.  
  
Then, during one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team a bit of bad news. He'd just gotten very angry with the Weasleys, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms.  
  
"Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"  
  
George Weasley really did fall off his broom at these words. Neptunia flew down to help him up.  
  
"Snape's refereeing?" he spluttered through a mouthful of mud. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin. "  
  
The rest of the team landed next to George and Neptunia to complain, too.  
  
"It's not my fault," said Wood. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us. "  
  
Which was all very well, thought Harry, but he had another reason for not wanting Snape near him while he was playing Quidditch. . .  
Neptunia, however, much to Harry's chagrin was beaming. ("Honestly Harry, He won't do anything.")  
The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another as usual at the end of practice, but Harry and Neptunia headed straight back to the Gryffindor common room, where he found Ron and Hermione playing chess. Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost at, something Harry and Ron thought was very good for her.  
  
"Don't talk to me for a moment," said Ron when Harry sat down next to him, "I need to concen -- " He caught sight of Harry's face.  
  
"What's the matter with you? You look terrible. "  
  
Speaking quietly so that no one else would hear, Neptunia told the other two about Snape's sudden desire to be a Quidditch referee.  
  
"Don't play," said Hermione at once.  
  
"Say you're ill," said Ron.  
  
"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.  
  
"Really break your leg," said Ron.  
  
"I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all. "  
  
At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognized at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor tower.  
  
Everyone fell over laughing except Hermione, who leapt up and performed the countercurse. Neville's legs sprang apart and Neptunia helped him as he got to his feet, trembling. "What happened?" Neptunia asked him, leading him over to sit with Harry and Ron.  
  
"Malfoy," said Neville shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on. "  
  
"Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"  
  
Neville shook his head. "I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.  
  
"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier. "

"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out.  
  
Harry felt in the pocket of his robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog, the very last one from the box Hermione had given him for Christmas. He gave it to Neville, who looked as though he might cry.  
  
"You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Harry said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin. " Neptunia looked away, honestly, she thought. Harry was such a hypocrite.  
  
Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog.  
  
"Thanks, Harry. . . I think I'll go to bed. . . D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"  
  
As Neville walked away, Harry looked at the Famous Wizard card.  
  
"Dumbledore again," he said, "He was the first one I ever--"  
  
He gasped. He stared at the back of the card. Then he looked up at Ron and Hermione.  
  
"I've found him!" he whispered. "I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here - ("Of course"! exclaimed Neptunia as she got up to go to her room)- listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!"  
  
Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd gotten back the marks for their very first piece of homework.  
  
"Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Harry and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back along with a smug Neptunia behind whom a large floating book was present.  
  
"I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading. "  
  
"Light ?" said Ron, but Neptunia told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself.  
  
At last, she found what she was looking for. "I knew it! I knew it!" Neptunia just grinned.  
  
"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.  
  
"Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!"  
  
This didn't have quite the effect she'd expected. Neptunia sighed.  
  
"The what?" said Harry and Ron.  
  
"Oh, honestly, don't you two read? Look -- read that, there. " Neptunia groaned as she pushed the book toward them, and Harry and Ron read:  
  
The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.  
  
There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).  
  
"See?" said Hermione, when Harry and Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Sorcerer's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"  
  
"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it. "  
  
"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"

"No, and it didn't help that Hermione checked out the book before I could read it. Otherwise, I could have remembered." Neptunia side-eyes Hermione who stuck her tongue out.  
  
The next morning in Defense Against the Dark Arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bites, Harry and Ron were still discussing what they'd do with a Sorcerer's Stone if they had one. It wasn't until Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team that Harry remembered about Snape and the coming match.  
  
"We're going to play," he told Ron and Hermione. Neptunia continued on, "If we don't, all the Slytherins will think Harry's just too scared to face Snape.("Hey!" shouted Harry indignantly) We'll show them. . . it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."

"Just as long as we're not wiping you both off the field," said Hermione chastising Neptunia. 

As the match drew nearer, however, Harry became more and more nervous, whatever he told Ron and Hermione wasn't reassuring them either. The rest of the team wasn't too calm, either. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the house championship was wonderful, no one had done it for seven years, but would they be allowed to, with such a biased referee? Neptunia, however, seemed unaffected. He was her uncle after all.

Harry didn't know whether he was imagining it or not, but he seemed to keep running into Snape wherever he went. At times, he even wondered whether Snape was following him, trying to catch him on his own. Potions lessons were turning into a sort of weekly torture, Snape was so horrible to Harry. Could Snape possibly know they'd found out about the Sorcerer's Stone? Harry didn't see how he could -- yet he sometimes had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds.  
  
Harry knew, when they wished him good luck outside the locker rooms the next afternoon, that Ron and Hermione were wondering whether they'd ever see him alive again. When he told Neptunia as much, she just laughed and patted him on the shoulder. This wasn't what you'd call comforting. Harry hardly heard a word of Wood's pep talk as he pulled on his Quidditch robes and picked up his Nimbus Two Thousand.  
  
Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, had found a place in the stands next to Neville, who couldn't understand why they looked so grim and worried, or why they had both brought their wands to the match. Little did Harry and Neptunia know that Ron and Hermione had been secretly practising the Leg-Locker Curse. They'd gotten the idea from Malfoy using it on Neville, and were ready to use it on Snape if he showed any sign of wanting to hurt Harry.  
  
"Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Hermione muttered as Ron slipped his wand up his sleeve.  
  
"I know," Ron snapped. "Don't nag. "  
  
Back in the locker room, Wood had taken Harry aside.  
  
"Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favor Hufflepuff too much. "  
  
"The whole school's out there!" said Fred, peering out of the door. "Even -- blimey -- Dumbledore's come to watch!"  
  
Neptunia tilted her head as she changed her colours to bright red and shining gold. She really needs to get a new style.   
  
"Dumbledore?" Harry said, dashing to the door to make sure. Fred was right. There was no mistaking that silver beard.  
  
Neptunia stretched and walked over to take a peak as well. She wondered why Uncle Sev was looking so angry. Maybe because he had to be the referee...or fly.  
  
NEptunia flew up towards the quaffle as soon as the whistle blew. Neptunia was sure she heard Uncle Sev swore as she shot straight past him. She giggled as caught the quaffle and passed it while dodging a bludger. She saw George dive towards it. She glanced at Uncle Sev when he awarded a penalty to Hufflepuff. 

She shouted over to George to stay focused who replied with a 'sure thing.' The quaffle was in the Hufflepuff's possession when she got it mid-throw. She flew around and as she threw it. The whistle blew announcing another penalty for Hufflepuff. Neptunia huffed indignantly. Nothing happened! 

Neptunia turned around to see that Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Neptunia saw the snitch behind her uncle who was in front of her. She divebombed as well so as not to disturb the snitch and to get out the way. Uncle Sev turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches -- the next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.

The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly. Neptunia whooped as she laughed. Harry jumped off his broom, a foot from the ground. He couldn't believe it. He'd done it -- the game was over; it had barely lasted five minutes. As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, he saw Snape land nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped -- then Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into Dumbledore's smiling face.

"Well done," said Dumbledore quietly, so that only Harry and Neptunia could hear. "Nice to see you both haven't been brooding about that mirror. . . been keeping busy. . . excellent..." Snape spat bitterly on the ground.

  
Harry left the locker room with Neptunia sometime later, to take their Nimbus Two Thousands back to the broom shed. He couldn't ever remember feeling happier. He'd really done something to be proud of now -- no one could say he was just a famous name any more. The evening air had never smelled so sweet. He walked over the damp grass, reliving the last hour in his head, which was a happy blur: Gryffindors running to lift him onto their shoulders; Ron and Hermione in the distance, jumping up and down, Ron cheering through a heavy nosebleed. Neptunia was just as happy if her bright yellow was any testament.  
  
Harry had reached the shed. He leaned against the wooden door and looked up at Hogwarts, with its windows glowing red in the setting sun. Gryffindor in the lead. He'd done it, he'd shown Snape.  
  
And speaking of Snape. . .  
  
A hooded figure came swiftly down the front steps of the castle. Clearly not wanting to be seen, it walked as fast as possible toward the forbidden forest. Harry's victory faded from his mind as he watched. He recognized the figure's prowling walk. Snape, sneaking into the forest while everyone else was at dinner -- what was going on? He looked at Neptunia who looked just as confused.

They jumped back on their Nimbus Two Thousand and took off. Gliding silently over the castle they saw Snape enter the forest at a run. They followed. The trees were so thick they couldn't see where Snape had gone. Harry flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until he heard voices. He glided toward them and landed noiselessly in a towering beech tree. Neptunia just came floating down using her powers. 

She climbed carefully along one of the branches, trying to see through the leaves. She gestured Harry to come forward.  
  
Below, in a shadowy clearing, stood Snape, but he wasn't alone. Quirrell was there, too. Harry couldn't make out the look on his face, but he was stuttering worse than ever. Harry strained to catch what they were saying.   
  
". . . d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus. . . "  
  
"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone, after all. "  
  
Harry leaned forward and Neptunia held his shoulder firmly. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.  
  
"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"  
  
"B-b-but Severus, I--"  
  
"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," said Snape, taking a step toward him.  
  
"I-I don't know what you--"  
  
"You know perfectly well what I mean. "  
  
An owl hooted loudly, and Harry nearly fell out of the tree. Neptunia steadied him in time to hear Snape say, " -- your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting. "  
  
"B-but I d-d-don't--"  
  
"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie. "  
  
He threw his cloak over his head and strode out of the clearing. It was almost dark now, but Harry could see Quirrell, standing quite still as though he was petrified.

\---

  
"Harry Neptunia, where have you been ?" Hermione squeaked as they got back.

"We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, thumping Harry on the back. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right -- talk about showing Slytherin! I've waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens." NEptunia whined before she walked off to find saying that they should have invited her. But as she walked off, she caught Harry's eye. This was a new development, just what was Quirell hiding?


	16. Welp, that was a wild ride

Neptunia rolled her eyes whenever she saw Harry and Ron. Why? Because, whenever Harry passed Quirrell these days he gave him an encouraging sort of smile, and Ron had started telling people off for laughing at Quirrell's stutter. Which was easily seen that was fake. A stutter is when you can't speak proper sentences and keep repeating a few phrases, not repeating a few letters of every goddamn word!

Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Sorcerer's Stone. She had started drawing up study schedules and colour-coding all her notes. Harry and Ron wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same. Neptunia, however, was glad that she exempted from this.  
  
"Hermione, the exams are ages away. "  
  
"Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel. "  
  
"But we're not six hundred years old," Ron reminded her. "Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it's an A. "  
  
"What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me. . . "  
  
Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones. It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practising wand movements. Moaning and yawning, Harry and Ron spent most of their free time in the library with her, trying to get through all their extra work.

One afternoon they were in the library cooped up, Neptunia was reading some book on Defensive Spells and twirling her wand around her fingers.  
  
"I'll never remember this," Ron burst out, throwing down his quill and looking longingly out of the library window. It was the first really fine day they'd had in months. The sky was a clear, forget-me-not blue, and there was a feeling in the air of summer coming.

Neptunia set her book down and looked out, "It is a good day outside." Maybe they should have studied outside.

Harry, who was looking up "Dittany" in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, didn't look up until he heard Ron say, "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"  
  
Hagrid shuffled into view, hiding something behind his back. He looked very out of place in his moleskin overcoat.  
  
"Jus' lookin'," he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once. "An' what're you lot up ter?" He looked suddenly suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"  
  
"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," said Ron impressively. "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Sorcerer's St--"  
  
"Shhhh!" Hagrid looked around quickly to see if anyone was listening. "Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," said Harry, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy--"  
  
"SHHHH!" said Hagrid again. "Listen -- come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh--"  
  
"See you later, then," said Neptunia, tilting her head.  
  
Hagrid shuffled off.  
  
"What was he hiding behind his back?" said Hermione thoughtfully.  
  
"Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"  
  
"Doubt it." said Neptunia, her head was still tilted and she looked as though she concentrating on something.

"I'm going to see what section he was in," said Ron, who'd had enough of working. He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table.  
  
"Dragons!" he whispered. "Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide. "  
  
"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told us so the first time we ever met him, " said Harry.  
  
"But it's against our laws," said Ron. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden -- anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania. "  
  
"But there aren't wild dragons in Britain ?" said Harry.

Neptunia nodded her head and took a deep breath, "It's also true that dragons are among the most famous magical beasts. They're certainly one of the most established, with a history stretching back to Ancient Greece. The first mention of the word dragon is in the Ancient Greek text _The Iliad_ , written around 762BC. The _Fantastic Beasts_ textbook lists ten species of dragon, each living in a different location, from the valleys of New Zealand to the mountains of Wales, and in countries as diverse as Peru, Sweden and China. Similarly, dragons of legend have a range of habitats, including palaces under the sea, remote mountains and caves." Neptunia stopped to take a breath, she bit her lip when she saw Hermione staring in disbelief, Ron staring aghast and Harry was just...smiling?   
  
"Of course there are," said Ron, shaking his head to get rid of his shock. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget. "  
  
"So what on earth's Hagrid up to?" said Hermione.  
  
When they knocked on the door of the gamekeeper's hut an hour later, they were surprised to see that all the curtains were closed. Hagrid called "Who is it?" before he let them in, and then shut the door quickly behind them.  
  
It was stifling hot inside. Even though it was such a warm day, there was a blazing fire in the grate. Hagrid made them tea and offered them stoat sandwiches, which they refused.  
  
"So -- yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"  
  
"Yes," said Harry. There was no point beating around the bush. "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Sorcerer's Stone apart from Fluffy. "  
  
Hagrid frowned at him.  
  
"O' course I can't," he said. "Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts -- I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy. "  
  
"Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on round here," said Hermione in a warm, flattering voice. Hagrid's beard twitched and they could tell he was smiling. "We only wondered who had done the guarding, really. " Neptunia went on. "We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you. "  
  
Hagrid's chest swelled at these last words. Harry and Ron beamed at Hermione and Neptunia, who was hiding her smirk.  
  
"Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that. . . let's see. . . he borrowed Fluffy from me. . . then some o' the teachers did enchantments. . . Professor Sprout -- Professor Flitwick -- Professor McGonagall -- " he ticked them off on his fingers, "Professor Quirrell -- an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape. "  
  
"Snape?"  
  
"Yeah -- yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it. "  
  
Neptunia grinned, maybe now they'll understand but taking one look at the three of them. She was proven wrong. She could hear them think.  
Harry knew Ron and Hermione were thinking the same as he was. If Snape had been in on protecting the Stone, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it. He probably knew everything -- except, it seemed, Quirrell's spell and how to get past Fluffy.  
  
"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy. aren't you, Hagrid?" said Harry anxiously. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"  
  
"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," said Hagrid proudly.  
  
"Well, that's something," Harry muttered to the others and Neptunia stifled a laugh. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling. "  
  
"Can't, Harry, sorry," said Hagrid. Harry noticed him glance at the fire. Harry looked at it, too.  
  
"Hagrid -- what's that ?"  
  
But he already knew what it was. In the very heart of the fire, underneath the kettle, was a huge, black egg.  
  
"Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard, "That's -- er. . . "  
  
"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune. "  
  
"Won it," said Hagrid. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest. "  
  
"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" said Hermione.  
  
"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'," said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library -- Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit -- it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on I em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here -- how ter recognize diff'rent eggs -- what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them. "  
  
He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione and Neptunia didn't.  
  
"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," Neptunia said.  
  
But Hagrid wasn't listening. He was humming merrily as he stoked the fire.  
  
So now they had something else to worry about: what might happen to Hagrid if anyone found out he was hiding an illegal dragon in his hut.  
  
"Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed, as evening after evening they struggled through all the extra homework they were getting. Hermione had now started making study schedules for Harry and Ron, too. It was driving them nuts.  
  
Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought Harry another note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: It's hatching.  
  
Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut. Hermione wouldn't hear of it. Neptunia, surprisingly, was on Ron's side.  
  
"Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?"

"We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing--"  
  
"Shut up!" Harry whispered.  
  
Malfoy was only a few feet away and he had stopped dead to listen. How much had he heard? Harry didn't like the look on Malfoy's face at all. Neptunia's hair turned red as she glared at Draco. This is not good, and he better not do something.  
  
Ron and Hermione argued all the way to Herbology and in the end, Hermione agreed to run down to Hagrid's with the other three during morning break. When the bell sounded from the castle at the end of their lesson, the three of them dropped their trowels at once and hurried through the grounds to the edge of the forest. Hagrid greeted them, looking flushed and excited.  
  
"It's nearly out. " He ushered them inside.  
  
The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it.  
  
They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath.  
  
All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty; Harry thought it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body, it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.  
  
It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout. Neptunia 'aww'ed as she inched closer.  
  
"Isn't he beautiful ?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.  
  
"Bless him, look, he knows his mommy!" said Hagrid.  
  
"Hagrid," said Hermione, "how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"  
  
Hagrid was about to answer when the color suddenly drained from his face -- he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains -- it's a kid -- he's runnin' back up ter the school. "  
  
Harry (and Neptunia) bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him.  
  
Malfoy had seen the dragon. (Draco was in such trouble)  
  
Something about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Harry, Ron, and Hermione very nervous. They spent most of their free time in Hagrid's darkened hut, trying to reason with him.  
  
"Just let him go," Harry urged. "Set him free. "  
  
"I can't," said Hagrid. "He's too little. He'd die. "  
  
They looked at the dragon. It had grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils. Hagrid hadn't been doing his gamekeeping duties because the dragon was keeping him so busy. There were empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor.  
  
"I've decided to call him Norbert," said Hagrid, looking at the dragon with misty eyes. "He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mommy?"  
  
"He's lost his marbles," Ron muttered in Harry's ear.  
  
"Hagrid," said Neptunia loudly, "give him two weeks and Norbert's going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment. "  
  
Hagrid bit his lip.  
  
"I -- I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't. "  
  
Harry suddenly turned to Ron. "Charlie. " he said.  
  
"You're losing it, too," said Ron. "I'm Ron, remember?"  
  
"No -- Charlie -- your brother, Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"  
  
"Brilliant!" said Ron. "How about it, Hagrid?"  
  
And in the end, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.  
  
The following week dragged by. Wednesday night found Neptunia, Hermione and Harry sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Harry's invisibility cloak. He had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert, who was now eating dead rats by the crate.  
  
"It bit me!" he said, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby. " 

Neptunia laughed and scratched her nose with the end of her quill from her position on the floor where she was filling out a crossword. Suddenly, there was a tap on the dark window.  
  
"It's Hedwig!" said Harry, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"  
  
The four of them put their heads together to read the note.  
  
 _Dear Ron,_  
  
 _How are you? Thanks for the letter -- I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon._  
  
 _Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark._  
  
 _Send me an answer as soon as possible_.  
  
 _Love,  
Charlie_  
  
They looked at one another.  
  
"We've got the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It shouldn't be too difficult - I think the cloaks big enough to cover two of us and Norbert. " 

Neptunia cut in, "I know how to put a disillusion charm on myself. I can come along to help with any fires?"

Harry nodded and really? It was a mark of how bad the last week had been that the other two agreed with him. Anything to get rid of Norbert (-- and Malfoy thought Harry)  
  
There was a hitch. By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size. He didn't know whether it was safe to go to Madam Pomfrey -- would she recognize a dragon bite? By the afternoon, though, he had no choice. The cut had turned a nasty shade of green. It looked as if Norbert's fangs were poisonous.  
  
Harry and Hermione rushed up to the hospital wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a terrible state in bed.  
  
"It's not just my hand," he whispered, "although that feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me -- I've told her it was a dog, but I don't think she believes me -- I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this. "  
  
Harry, Neptunia and Hermione tried to calm Ron down.   
  
"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," said Hermione, but this didn't soothe Ron at all. On the contrary, he sat bolt upright and broke into a sweat.  
  
"Midnight on Saturday!" he said in a hoarse voice. "Oh no oh no -- I've just remembered -- Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert. "  
  
They didn't get a chance to answer. Madam Pomfrey came over at that moment and made them leave, saying Ron needed sleep.  
  
"It's too late to change the plan now," Harry told Hermione and Neptunia. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we have got the invisibility cloak, Malfoy doesn't know about that. "  
  
They found Fang, the boarhound, sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they went to tell Hagrid, who opened a window to talk to them. Neptunia crouched down beside it to pet and comfort him.  
  
"I won't let you in," he puffed. "Norbert's at a tricky stage -- nothin' I can't handle. "  
  
When they told him about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears, although that might have been because Norbert had just bitten him on the leg.  
  
"Aargh! It's all right, he only got my boot -- jus' playin' -- he's only a baby, after all. "  
  
The baby banged its tail on the wall, making the windows rattle. Harry, Neptunia and Hermione walked back to the castle feeling Saturday couldn't come quickly enough.  
  
They would have felt sorry for Hagrid when the time came for him to say good-bye to Norbert if they hadn't been so worried about what they had to do. It was a very dark, cloudy night, and they were a bit late arriving at Hagrid's hut because they'd had to wait for Peeves to get out of their way in the entrance hall, where he'd been playing tennis against the wall. Hagrid had Norbert packed and ready in a large crate.  
  
"He's got lots o' rats an' some brandy fer the journey," said Hagrid in a muffled voice. "An' I've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely. "  
  
From inside the crate came ripping noises that sounded to Harry as though the teddy was having his head torn off.   
  
"Bye-bye, Norbert!" Hagrid sobbed, as Harry and Hermione covered the crate with the invisibility cloak and stepped underneath it themselves. "Mommy will never forget you!" Neptunia performed her charm.  
  
How they managed to get the crate back up to the castle, they never knew, however, Neptunia was concentrating on using Fire and Air to get it up. Midnight ticked nearer as they heaved Norbert up the marble staircase in the entrance hall and along the dark corridors. Up another staircase, then another -- even one of Harry's shortcuts didn't make the work much easier.  
  
"Nearly there!" Harry panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower.  
  
Then a sudden movement ahead of them made them almost drop the crate. Forgetting that they were already invisible, they shrank into the shadows, staring at the dark outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away. A lamp flared.  
  
Professor McGonagall, in a tartan bathrobe and a hair net, had Malfoy by the ear.  
  
"Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you--"  
  
"You don't understand, Professor. Harry Potter's coming -- he's got a dragon!"  
  
"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on -- I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"  
  
The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world after that. Not until they'd stepped out into the cold night air did they throw off the cloak, glad to be able to breathe properly again. Hermione did a sort of jig.   
  
"Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!"  
  
"Don't," Harry advised her.

Neptunia just laughed, "He deserved it. Wait till I get my hands on him."  
  
Chuckling about Malfoy, they waited, Norbert thrashing about in his crate. About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness.  
  
Charlie's friends were a cheery lot. They showed Harry and Hermione the harness they'd rigged up, so they could suspend Norbert between them. They all helped buckle Norbert safely into it and then Harry and Hermione shook hands with the others and thanked them very much.  
  
At last, Norbert was going. . . going. . . gone.  
  
They slipped back down the spiral staircase, their hearts as light as their hands, now that Norbert was off them. No more dragon -- Malfoy in detention -- what could spoil their happiness?  
  
The answer to that was waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor, Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness.  
  
"Well, well, well," he whispered, "we are in trouble. "  
  
They'd left the invisibility cloak on top of the tower. And Neptunia was still disillusioned.

Things couldn't have been worse.  
  
Filch took them down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they sat and waited without saying a word to each other. Neptunia quietly followed behind them. Hermione was trembling. Excuses, alibis, and wild cover-up stories chased each other around Harry's brain, each more feeble than the last. He couldn't see how they were going to get out of trouble this time. They were cornered. How could they have been so stupid as to forget the cloak? There was no reason on earth that Professor McGonagall would accept for their being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night, let alone being up the tallest astronomy tower, which was out-of-bounds except for classes. Add Norbert and the invisibility cloak, and they might as well be packing their bags already. Neptunia breathed quietly and tried to think of something.  
  
Had Harry thought that things couldn't have been worse? He was wrong. When Professor McGonagall appeared, she was leading Neville.  
  
"Harry!" Neville burst out, the moment he saw the other two. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag--"  
  
Harry shook his head violently to shut Neville up, but Professor McGonagall had seen. She looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert as she towered over the three of them.  
  
"I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves. "  
  
It was the first time Hermione had ever failed to answer a teacher's question. She was staring at her slippers, as still as a statue. Neptunia squeezed her hand as it was still in her grasp.  
  
"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?"  
  
Harry caught Neville's eye and tried to tell him without words that this wasn't true because Neville was looking stunned and hurt. Poor, blundering Neville -- Harry knew what it must have cost him to try and find them in the dark, to warn them.

Neptunia was itching to act. She wanted to slap Harry upside the Harry for thinking like that. She wanted to push away Draco for breaking her trust. She wanted to comfort Hermione, she wanted to hug Neville. But she had to stay still. She didn't matter right now. She had to remain invisible. The exact opposite of the orphanage, where she had to stand out. 

"I'm disgusted," said Professor McGonagall. "Four students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All three of you will receive detentions -- yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous -- and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor. "  
  
"Fifty ?" Harry gasped -- they would lose the lead, the lead they'd won in the last Quidditch match.  
  
"Fifty points each," said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long, pointed nose. Neptunia stifled a gasp, this wasn't fair. She'd only taken 20 points from Slytherin.  
  
"Professor -- please--"  
  
"You can't--"  
  
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students. "  
  
A hundred and fifty points lost. That put Gryffindor in last place. In one night, they'd ruined any chance Gryffindor had had for the house cup. Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach. How could they ever make up for this? Harry didn't sleep all night. He could hear Neville sobbing into his pillow for what seemed like hours. Harry couldn't think of anything to say to comfort him. He knew Neville, like himself, was dreading the dawn. What would happen when the rest of Gryffindor found out what they'd done?  
  
Neptunia was in the same condition. Her heart was beating wildly, her hair stuck in purple and green. How could she? She should have practised the charm more. Maybe she could have done something. When they walked into the dorm, she dropped the charm and Hermione sat on her bed, slightly in a daze. Neptunia was just glad, at least this wasn't physical. She went to Hermione and held her arms open. Hermione looked up with red-rimmed eyes and jumped into the embrace and started to cry as Neptunia did too, though silently. Neptunia had nothing to say.

At first, Gryffindors passing the giant hourglasses that recorded the house points the next day thought there'd been a mistake. How could they suddenly have a hundred and fifty points fewer than yesterday? And then the story started to spread: Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points, him and a couple of other stupid first years.  
  
From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Harry was suddenly the most hated. Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on him, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the house cup. Everywhere Harry went, people pointed and didn't trouble to lower their voices as they insulted him. Slytherins, on the other hand, clapped as he walked past them, whistling and cheering, "Thanks Potter, we owe you one!"  
  
Only Ron stood by him along with Neptunia, though she seemed a little out of it and stuck with Hermione and Neville most of the time.  
  
"They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them. "  
  
"They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?" said Harry miserably.  
  
"Well -- no," Ron admitted.  
  
It was a bit late to repair the damage, but Harry swore to himself not to meddle in things that weren't his business from now on. He'd had it with sneaking around and spying. He felt so ashamed of himself that he went to Wood and offered to resign from the Quidditch team.  
  
"Resign ?" Wood thundered. "What good'll that do? How are we going to get any points back if we can't win at Quidditch?"  
  
But even Quidditch had lost its fun. The rest of the team wouldn't speak to Harry during practice, and if they had to speak about him, they called him "the Seeker. "  
  
Hermione and Neville were suffering, too. They didn't have as bad a time as Harry, because they weren't as well-known, but nobody would speak to them, either. Hermione had stopped drawing attention to herself in class, keeping her head down and working in silence. Neptunia had taken up her mantle as the point-earning machine. She would raise her hand at every question. She recited everything like a robot.  
  
Harry was almost glad that the exams weren't far away. All the studying he had to do kept his mind off his misery. He, Ron, Neptunia, and Hermione kept to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember the ingredients in complicated potions, learn charms and spells by heart, memorize the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions. . .  
  
Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Harry's new resolution not to interfere in anything that didn't concern him was put to an unexpected test. Walking back from the library on his own one afternoon, he heard somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As he drew closer, he heard Quirrell's voice.   
  
"No -- no -- not again, please--"  
  
It sounded as though someone was threatening him. Harry moved closer, Neptunia's hand appeared on his shoulder as she moved ahead of him.  
  
"All right -- all right -- " he heard Quirrell sob.  
  
Next second, Quirrell came hurrying out of the classroom straightening his turban. He was pale and looked as though he was about to cry. He strode out of sight; Harry didn't think Quirrell had even noticed them. They waited until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared, then peered into the classroom. It was empty, but a door stood ajar at the other end. Harry was halfway toward it before he remembered what he'd promised himself about not meddling and walked away. Neptunia, although reluctantly, walked away.

All the same, Harry would have gambled twelve Sorcerer's Stones that Snape had just left the room, and from what Harry had just heard, Snape would be walking with a new spring in his step -- Quirrell seemed to have given in at last.  
  
Harry and Neptunia went back to the library, where Hermione was testing Ron on Astronomy. Harry told them what he'd heard.  
  
"Snape's done it, then!" said Ron. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell--"  
  
"There's still Fluffy, though," said Hermione.  
  
"Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," said Ron, looking up at the thousands of books surrounding them. "I bet there's a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Harry?"  
  
The light of adventure was kindling again in Ron's eyes, but Hermione answered before Harry could.  
  
"Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure. "  
  
"But we've got no proof!" said Harry. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor -- who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining. "  
  
Hermione looked convinced, but Ron didn't. Neptunia was looking away, her face settling into an unusual blue.  
  
"If we just do a bit of poking around--"  
  
"No," said Neptunia flatly (surprisingly), "we've done enough poking around. "  
  
Harry pulled a map of Jupiter toward him and started to learn the names of its moons. Neptunia took out her sketching book and started drawing what Harry thought was Norbert.  
  
The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Hermione, and Neville at the breakfast table. Neptunia peaked a glance at it from Hermione's shoulder. They were all the same:  
  
 _Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight.  
  
Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.  
  
Professor McGonagall_  
  
Harry had forgotten they still had detentions to do in the furor over the points they'd lost. He half expected Hermione to complain that this was a whole night of studying lost, but she didn't say a word. Like Harry, she felt they deserved what they'd got.  
  
At eleven o'clock that night, they said good-bye to Ron in the common room and went down to the entrance hall with Neville. Neptunia was nowhere to be found. Filch was already there -- and so was Malfoy. Harry had also forgotten that Malfoy had gotten a detention, too.  
  
"Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside.  
  
"I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at them. "Oh yes. . . hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me. . . It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out. . . hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed. . . Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do. "  
  
They marched off across the dark grounds. Neville kept sniffing. Harry wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted.  
  
The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Harry could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a distant shout.  
  
"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started. "  
  
Harry's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad. His relief must have showed in his face, because Filch said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy -- it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece. "  
  
At this, Neville let out a little moan, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
"The forest?" he repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. "We can't go in there at night -- there's all sorts of things in there -- werewolves, I heard. " He winced suddenly and stopped.  
  
Neville clutched the sleeve of Harry's robe and made a choking noise.  
  
"That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"  
  
Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.  
  
"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione?"  
  
"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, they're here to be punished, after all. "  
  
"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here. "  
  
"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added nastily, and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.  
  
Malfoy now turned to Hagrid.  
  
"I'm not going in that forest," he said, and Harry was pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice.  
  
"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it. "  
  
"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd--"  
  
"-- tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on. "  
  
Malfoy didn't move. He looked at Hagrid furiously, but then dropped his gaze. He winced again.  
  
"Right then," said Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment. "  
  
He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the forest.  
  
"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery. "  
  
"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.  
  
"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least. "  
  
"I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.  
  
"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. "So me, Harry, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now -- that's it -- an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh -- so, be careful -- let's go. "  
  
The forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the earth path, and Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid took the left path while Malfoy, Neville, and Fang took the right.  
  
They walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves.  
  
Harry saw that Hagrid looked very worried.  
  
"Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?" Harry asked.  
  
"Not fast enough," said Hagrid. "It's not easy ter catch a unicorn, they're powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before. "  
  
They walked past a mossy tree stump. Harry could hear running water; there must be a stream somewhere close by. There were still spots of unicorn blood here and there along the winding path.  
  
"You all right, Hermione?" Hagrid whispered. "Don' worry, it can't've gone far if it's this badly hurt, an' then we'll be able ter -- GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"  
  
Hagrid seized Harry and Hermione and hoisted them off the path behind a towering oak. He pulled out an arrow and fitted it into his crossbow, raising it, ready to fire. The three of them listened. Something was slithering over dead leaves nearby: it sounded like a cloak trailing along the ground. Hagrid was squinting up the dark path, but after a few seconds, the sound faded away.  
  
"I knew it," he murmured. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be. "  
  
"A werewolf?" Harry suggested.  
  
"That wasn' no werewolf an' it wasn' no unicorn, neither," said Hagrid grimly. "Right, follow me, but careful, now. "  
  
They walked more slowly, ears straining for the faintest sound. Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something definitely moved.  
  
"Who's there?" Hagrid called. "Show yerself -- I'm armed!"  
  
And into the clearing came -- was it a man, or a horse? To the waist, a man, with red hair and beard, but below that was a horse's gleaming chestnut body with a long, reddish tail. Harry and Hermione's jaws dropped.  
  
"Oh, it's you, Ronan," said Hagrid in relief. "How are yeh?"  
  
He walked forward and shook the centaur's hand.  
  
"Good evening to you, Hagrid," said Ronan. He had a deep, sorrowful voice. "Were you going to shoot me?"  
  
"Can't be too careful, Ronan," said Hagrid, patting his crossbow. "There's summat bad loose in this forest. This is Harry Potter an' Hermione Granger, by the way. Students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur.  
  
"We'd noticed," said Hermione faintly.  
  
"Good evening," said Ronan. "Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?"  
  
"Erm--"  
  
"A bit," said Hermione timidly.  
  
"A bit. Well, that's something. " Ronan sighed. He flung back his head and stared at the sky. "Mars is bright tonight. "  
  
"Yeah," said Hagrid, glancing up, too. "Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt -- you seen anythin'?"  
  
Ronan didn't answer immediately. He stared unblinkingly upward, then sighed again.  
  
"Always the innocent are the first victims," he said. "So it has been for ages past, so it is now. "

"Yeah," said Hagrid, "but have yeh seen anythin' Ronan? Anythin' unusual?"  
  
"Mars is bright tonight," Ronan repeated, while Hagrid watched him impatiently. "Unusually bright. "  
  
"Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit nearer home, said Hagrid. "So yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"  
  
Yet again, Ronan took a while to answer. At last, he said, "The forest hides many secrets. "  
  
A movement in the trees behind Ronan made Hagrid raise his bow again, but it was only a second centaur, black-haired and -bodied and wilder-looking than Ronan.  
  
"Hullo, Bane," said Hagrid. "All right?"  
  
"Good evening, Hagrid, I hope you are well?"  
  
"Well enough. Look, I've jus' bin askin' Ronan, you seen anythin' odd in here lately? There's a unicorn bin injured -- would yeh know anythin' about it?"  
  
Bane walked over to stand next to Ronan. He looked skyward. "Mars is bright tonight," he said simply.  
  
"We've heard," said Hagrid grumpily. "Well, if either of you do see anythin', let me know, won't yeh? We'll be off, then. "  
  
Harry and Hermione followed him out of the clearing, staring over their shoulders at Ronan and Bane until the trees blocked their view.  
  
"Never," said Hagrid irritably, "try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy stargazers. Not interested in anythin' closer'n the moon. "  
  
"Are there many of them in here?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Oh, a fair few. . . Keep themselves to themselves mostly, but they're good enough about turnin' up if ever I want a word. They're deep, mind, centaurs. . . they know things. . . jus' don' let on much. "  
  
"D'you think that was a centaur we heard earlier?" said Harry.  
  
"Did that sound like hooves to you? Nah, if yeh ask me, that was what's bin killin' the unicorns -- never heard anythin' like it before. "  
  
They walked on through the dense, dark trees. Harry kept looking nervously over his shoulder. He had the nasty feeling they were being watched. He was very glad they had Hagrid and his crossbow with them. They had just passed a bend in the path when Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm.  
  
"Hagrid! Look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!"  
  
"You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted. "Stay on the path, I'll come back for yeh!"  
  
They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared, until they couldn't hear anything but the rustling of leaves around them.  
  
"You don't think they've been hurt, do you?" whispered Hermione.  
  
"I don't care if Malfoy has, but if something's got Neville. . . it's our fault he's here in the first place. "  
  
The minutes dragged by. Their ears seemed sharper than usual. Harry's seemed to be picking up every sigh of the wind, every cracking twig. What was going on? Where were the others?  
  
At last, a great crunching noise announced Hagrid's return. Malfoy, Neville, and Fang were with him. Hagrid was fuming. Malfoy, it seemed, had sneaked up behind Neville and grabbed him as a joke. Neville had panicked and sent up the sparks.  
  
"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups -- Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an' this idiot. I'm sorry," Hagrid added in a whisper to Harry, "but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an' we've gotta get this done. "  
  
So Harry set off into the heart of the forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. Harry thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by. Harry could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.  
  
"Look -- " he murmured, holding out his arm to stop Malfoy.  
  
Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer.  
  
It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Harry had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long, slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves. Neptunia appeared from his side, he jumped. 

"Neptunia?! What are you doing here." 

"I deserve it as much as the rest of you do. Also, I'm here to investigate. Move."

  
Neptunia had taken three steps toward it when a slithering sound made her stop where she stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered. . . Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. Harry, Malfoy, and Fang stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood. Neptunia moved and stood in front of the others.   
  
"AAAAAAAAAARGH!"  
  
Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted -- so did Fang. The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Neptunia -- unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly toward her. Neptunia shouted for Harry to run -- he couldn't move for fear.  
  
Then a pain like he'd never felt before pierced his head; it was as though his scar were on fire. Half blinded, he staggered backward. He heard hooves behind him, galloping, and something jumped clean over Harry and Neptunia who was also in pain but gritting through it, charging at the figure.  
  
The pain in Harry's head was so bad he fell to his knees. Neptunia was standing still where she was standing, her eyes glazed over. It took a minute or two to pass. When he looked up, the figure had gone. A centaur was standing over him, not Ronan or Bane; this one looked younger; he had white-blond hair and a palomino body.  
  
"Are you all right?" said the centaur, pulling Harry to his feet.  
  
"Yes -- thank you -- what was that?"  
  
The centaur didn't answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looked carefully at Harry, his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on Harry's forehead.  
  
"You are the Potter boy," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time -- especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way.  
  
"My name is Firenze," he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that Harry could clamber onto his back. He moved towards Neptunia and laid a hand on her shoulder, when he did she flinched. She shook her head and looked towards the hand. 

"Hello, My name is Firenze."

"Hello, I'm Neptunia Black." 

The centaur lowered him so that Npetunia could climb behind Harry. To Harry's surprise, she stepped back shaking her head. "You're a being. That'd be rude. I can't. Sorry."

There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and Bane came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.  
  
"Firenze!" Bane thundered. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"  
  
"Do you realize who this is?" said Firenze. "This is the Potter boy and her? She's The Elemental Black. The quicker they leave this forest, the better. "  
  
"What have you been telling him?" growled Bane. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"  
  
Ronan pawed the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best," he said in his gloomy voice.  
  
Bane kicked his back legs in anger.  
  
"For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"  
  
Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, so that Harry had to grab his shoulders to stay on.  
  
"Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at Bane. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must. "  
  
And Firenze whisked around; with Harry clutching on as best he could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them. Neptunia started running to keep up before she jumped and used Air to help her move  
  
Harry didn't have a clue what was going on. Neptunia was panting but she looked oddly disturbed.  
  
"Why's Bane so angry?" he asked. "What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?"  
  
Firenze slowed to a walk, warned Harry to keep his head bowed in case of low-hanging branches, but did not answer Harry's question. Neptunia set herself on the grass and started to walk as well. They made their way through the trees in silence for so long that Harry thought Firenze didn't want to talk to him anymore. They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped.  
  
"Harry Potter, Neptunia Black, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"  
  
"No," said Harry, startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."

Neptunia however, as usual, became an Encylopedia, "The blood of a unicorn can be drunk in order to keep a person alive. However, the act of slaying a unicorn will cause the drinker to suffer a cursed life, though the specifics of what this actually entails are not known well. It is probably a Non-Tradeable Item, since the sale of this substance is controlled by the Mininstry , making it strictly forbidden."  
  
"Yes that is right. That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," said Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips. "  
  
Harry stared at the back of Firenze's head, which was dappled silver in the moonlight.  
  
"But who'd be that desperate?" he wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?"  
  
"It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else -- something that will bring you back to full strength and power -- something that will mean you can never die. Mr. Potter, Ms Black, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"  
  
"The Sorcerer's Stone! Of course -- the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who--"  
  
"Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?"  
  
It was as though an iron fist had clenched suddenly around Neptunia's heart and mind. Over the rustling of the trees, she seemed to hear once more what Hagrid had told her one evening when she went to meet him alone: "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. "  
  
"Do you mean," Harry croaked, "that was Vol-"  
  
"Harry! Harry, are you all right?"  
  
Hermione was running toward them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her.  
  
"I'm fine," said Harry, hardly knowing what he was saying. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there. "  
  
"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now. "  
  
Harry slid off his back as Neptunia turned invisible before anyone could look at her. 

"Good luck, Harry Potter, do tell Neptunia Black the same," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times. "  
  
He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving Harry shivering behind him.  
  
Ron had fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for them to return. He shouted something about Quidditch fouls when Harry roughly shook him awake. In a matter of seconds, though, he was wide-eyed as Harry and Neptunia (once she revealed herself) began to tell him and Hermione what had happened in the forest.  
  
Harry couldn't sit down. He paced up and down in front of the fire. He was still shaking.  
  
"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort. . . and Voldemort's waiting in the forest. . . and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich. . . "  
  
"Stop saying the name!" said Ron in a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.

Neptunia shook her head, "It's just a name Ron."

Harry wasn't listening.  
  
"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so. . . Bane was furious. . . he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen. . . They must show that Voldemort's coming back. . . Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me. . . I suppose that's written in the stars as well. "  
  
"Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed.  
  
"So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," Harry went on feverishly, "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off. . . Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy. "  
  
Hermione looked very frightened, but she had a word of comfort.  
  
"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of with Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic. "  
  
The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. They went to bed exhausted, their throats sore. But the night's surprises weren't over.  
  
When Harry pulled back his sheets, he found his invisibility cloak folded neatly underneath them. There was a note pinned to it:  
  
 _Just in case._

Neptunia, however, was pacing the common room. She had come back down after the others went up. Quirrel is the one behind this, isn't he? Uncle Sev was a Deatheater but he changed last minute for his sis- MOM. For mom and someone else. Who? Didn't matter now but... Anyways. Uncle Sev had all evidence stacked against him but Quirrel. He was acting Squirrely too. Think Neptunia. What's wrong here? 

Neptunia sat down on the couch, exhausted. She lay down and closed her eyes. Quirrel gave her a sharp pain in the chest when he was facing Uncle Sev during the Year's first feast. His stutter was fake. Not to mention, during Halloween, he was late to the feast only to appear to declare the presence of a troll. His turban was relatively new according to Hagrid. Hagrid...how..

And before Neptunia could think further. She fell asleep.


	17. Through the Trapdoor

Neptunia was appaled that Hermione had somehow roped her into reading all the books once more. Really? What had gotten to her? She could have read next year's books but...the more Neptunia thought about it. It was fine but, what about Voldemort?

She was surprised Harry lasted throughout this since his exact thoughts were; Fluffy, exam, Voldemort, Fluffy, Snape, Voldemort. Neptunia stretched in her place. It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anticheating spell.

  
They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tapdance across a desk. Neptunia made it tapdance and after it was done, Neptunia made it do a little tango as well. Fun. 

Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox -- points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was but taken away if it had whiskers. Neptunia managed to make it gold with the Hogwarts crest in the middle. Neptunia almost wanted to keep it, but she had to let the mouse go. 

Uncle Sev was trying to use an intimidation tactic by practically breathing down their necks while they made a forgetfulness potion. Neptunia sent a burst of incredibly warm air towards him while sticking her tongue out when no one was looking.

But throughout the exams, Neptunia couldn't focus clearly because her chest and scar were experiencing bursts of pain. She often looked pale and Hermione told her to visit Madam Pomfrey. Neptunia always denied though. If Hermione knew, she'd go crazy about the fact that her scar has been hurting since the forest incident. Neptunia knew that Harry was experiencing the same thing as her. She also knew that Hermione and Ron weren't as worried as her or Harry about Voldemort stealing the stone. The idea of Voldemort certainly scared them, but he didn't keep visiting them in their dreams, and they were so busy with their studying they didn't have much time to worry about what could happen to the world if Voldemort ever came back in power.

The last exam was History of Magic, really, for the history of something as special as magic, it was quite dreary. Neptunia finished hers half an hour beforehand. But when it was time to give the papers, Neptunia could help but laugh and turn her hair into a disco as everyone cheered.

"That was far easier than I thought it would be," said Hermione as they joined the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager. " 

Neptunia laughed 'Classic Hermione' she thought, "I told you soo. Also, I was right when I told you that self-stirring cauldrons would come." Hermione hummed.

Neptunia and Hermione always liked to go through their exam papers afterwards, but Ron said this made him feel ill, so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows. "No more studying," Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet. "

Neptunia looked towards Harry, he seemed lost in thought. Harry was rubbing his forehead.

"I wish I knew what this means!" he burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting -- it's happened before, but never as often as this. "  
  
"Go to Madam Pomfrey, the both of you," Hermione suggested. Neptunia shook her head  
  
"I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning. . . it means danger's coming. . . "   
  
Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.  
  
"Harry, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down. "

Neptunia bit her lip and shared a look with Harry. We're missing something for sure, Neptunia thought. Harry was quite sure the unsettled feeling didn't have anything to do with work, though. He watched an owl flutter toward the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in its mouth. Hagrid was the only one who ever sent him letters. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. He looked towards NEptunia.

Neptunia's eyes widened. Of course. Hagrid would never unless...Neptunia got to her feet as did Harry.

"Where're you going?" said Ron sleepily.  
  
"I've just thought of something," said Harry. He had turned white. Neptunia was pretty sure her hair turned white as well. She turned towards to Hermione and Ron "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now. "  
  
"Why?" panted Hermione, hurrying to keep up.  
  
"Don't you think it's a bit odd," said Harry, scrambling up the grassy slope, "that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon-", and Neptunia cut in while she stood in front of them. "and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Someone against it. Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Coincidence? I think not."

"What are you talking about?" said Ron, but Harry and Neptunia, sprinting across the grounds toward the forest, didn't answer.  
  
Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.  
  
"Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"  
  
"Yes, please," said Ron, but Harry cut him off.  
  
"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"  
  
"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn' take his cloak off. "  
  
He saw the four of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows.  
  
"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head -- that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up. "

Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas and Neptunia stepped forward licking her lips, "Hagrid," she began looking worried, "What did you talk about? Was he interested in Hogwarts or animals?"

"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah. . . he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here. . . He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took after. . . so I told him. . . an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon. . . an' then. . . I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks. . . Let's see. . . yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted. . . but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home. . . So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy. . . "

Neptunia ran her hand through her hair as she whispered 'Oh my god'. "And did he -- did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Well -- yeah -- how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep--" Hagrid suddenly looked horrified. Neptunia scoffed and sarcastically wondered why. 

"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey -- where're yeh goin'?"

Neptunia, Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds.  
  
"We've got to go to Dumbledore," said Harry. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak --("Definitely Voldemort Harry," exclaimed Neptunia)-- it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?"  
  
They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.Neptunia was closing her eyes and concentrating.

"Give me a moment, I'll-- " Neptunia began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.

"What are you three doing inside?"  
  
It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.  
  
"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather bravely, Harry and Ron thought. Neptunia nodded along.  
  
"See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?"  
  
Harry swallowed -- now what?  
  
"It's sort of secret," he said, but he wished at once he hadn't, because Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared and Neptunia did a facepalm.   
  
"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once. "  
  
"He's gone ?" said Harry frantically. "Now?"  
  
"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time--"  
  
"But this is important. "  
  
"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"  
  
"Look," said Harry, throwing caution to the winds, "Professor -- it's about the Sorcerer's Stone--"  
  
Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up. Neptunia bent down to pick up the books.

How do you know -- ?" she spluttered.

"Professor, I think -- I know -- that Sn -- that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore. "  
  
She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion. Honestly, Neptunia would have too. She was about to speak up when,  
  
"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected. "  
  
"But Professor--" she tried,  
  
"Neptunia I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. She took the books from Neptunia. I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine. "  
  
But they didn't. Neptunia sighed.  
  
"It's tonight," said Neptunia, she looked to Harry who continued, "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up. "  
  
"But what can we--"  
  
Hermione gasped. Harry and Ron wheeled round. Uncle Sev was standing there. "Good afternoon," he said smoothly.  
  
They stared at him. Neptunia waved while smiling brightly.

"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd, twisted smile.  
  
"We were -- " Harry began, without any idea what he was going to say.  
  
"You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?"  
  
Harry flushed as Neptunia huffed. They were about to leave when Uncle Sev spoke, "Be warned, Potter -- any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you. "  
  
He strode off in the direction of the staffroom. Out on the stone steps, Harry turned to the others.  
  
"Right, here's what we've got to do," he whispered urgently. "One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape -- wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione, you'd better do that. "  
  
"Why me?"

"It's obvious," said Ron. "You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know. " He put on a high voice, "'Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen b wrong. . . '"  
  
"Oh, shut up," said Hermione, but she agreed to go and watch out for Snape. Neptunia rolled her eyes as they discussed how Uncle Sev should be stopped. Clearly, it's Voldemort.  
  
"And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Harry told Ron. "Come on. "  
  
But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had they reached the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school than Professor McGonagall turned up again and this time, she lost her temper.  
  
"I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!" she stormed. "Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley, from my own house!"  
  
Harry and Ron went back to the common room, Harry had just said, "At least Hermione's on Snape's tail," when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.  
  
"I'm sorry, Harry!" she wailed. "Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went. "  
  
"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Harry said.  
  
The other two stared at him and Neptunia. Harry was pale and he looked as if he was about to cry. Neptunia's hair though, turned black as she remained impassive.   
  
"I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first. "

Neptunia turned to grab his hand, "The both of us Harry. Scar buddies remember?" Harry in turn nodded.  
  
"You're mad!" said Ron.  
  
"You can't!" said Hermione. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!"  
  
"SO WHAT" Harry shouted. "Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the house cup? If we get caught before we can get to the Stone, well, we'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find us there, it's only dying a bit later than we would have because we're never going over to the Dark Side!We're going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop us! Voldemort killed our parents remember?" Neptunia nodded as he glared at them.

Neptunia started talking although she was calm and composed, "Besides, We can't just stand by and-and let Voldemort get that stone. If Voldemort gets it, he'll be immortal and all our lives, our futures, our happiness is gonna go bye-bye down the drain. He'll gain complete control and god knows what he'll do to all the innocent muggles. All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing. We're going and you both can't stop us."

"You're right," said Hermione in a small voice.  
  
"I'll use the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It's just lucky I got it back. "  
  
"But will it cover all four of us?" said Ron. Neptunia took her wand and waved it.  
  
"All -- all four of us?" stammered Harry.  
  
"Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?"  
  
"Of course not," said Hermione briskly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and took through my books, there might be something useful. . . "  
  
"But if we get caught, you two will be expelled, too. "  
  
"Not if I can help it," said Hermione grimly. "Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that. "  
  
After dinner the three of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Harry any more, after all. This was the first night he hadn't been upset by it. Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try to break. Harry and Ron didn't talk much. Both of them were thinking about what they were about to do. Neptunia was practising the disillusion charm on herself.   
  
Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.  
  
"Better get the cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning. Harry ran upstairs to their dark dormitory. He pulled out the cloak and then his eyes fell on the flute Hagrid had given him for Christmas. He pocketed it to use on Fluffy -- he didn't feel much like singing.  
  
He ran back down to the common room.  
  
"We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all three of us - if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own--"  
  
"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.  
  
"Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back. Neptunia face palmed as she sighed. Neville stared at their guilty faces although Neptunia was impassive as her hair was unusually black.  
  
"You're going out again," he said.  
  
"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"  
  
Harry looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.  
  
"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."  
  
"You don't understand," said Harry, "this is important. "  
  
But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.  
  
"I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll -- I'll fight you!"  
  
"Neville, "Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot--"  
  
"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"  
  
"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing. "  
  
He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.  
  
"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"  
  
Harry turned to Hermione and Neptunia  
  
"Do something," he said desperately.  
  
Neptunia stepped forward.  
  
"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this. "  
  
She raised her wand.  
  
"Petrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing it at Neville.  
  
Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.  
  
Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.  
  
"What've you done to him?" Harry whispered.  
  
"It's the full Body-Bind," said Neptunia. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry. "  
  
"We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Harry.  
  
"You'll understand later, Neville," said Ron as they stepped over him and pulled on the invisibility cloak.  
  
But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them. At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top.  
  
"Oh, let's kick her, just this once," Ron whispered in Harry's ear, but Harry shook his head. As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamplike eyes on them, but didn't do anything.  
  
They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.  
  
"Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"  
  
He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them.  
  
"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen. "  
  
Harry had a sudden idea.  
  
"Peeves," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible. "  
  
Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.  
  
"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, Sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake -- I didn't see you -- of course I didn't, you're invisible -- forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir. "  
  
"I have business here, Peeves," croaked Harry. "Stay away from this place tonight. "  
  
"I will, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you. "  
  
And he scooted off.  
  
"Brilliant, Harry!" whispered Ron.  
  
A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor -- and the door was already ajar.  
  
"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy. " Neptunia scoffed, "I think you mean Voldemort."   
  
Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them. Underneath the cloak, Harry and Neptunia turned to the other two.  
  
"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the cloak, I won't need it now."  
"Don't be stupid," said Ron.  
  
"We're coming," said Hermione.  
  
Harry pushed the door open.  
  
As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.  
  
"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.  
  
"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there. "  
  
"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," said Harry. "Well, here goes. . . "  
  
He put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Harry hardly drew breath. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased -- it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.  
  
"Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they slipped out of the cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads. "I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"  
  
"No, I don't!"  
  
"All right. " Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.  
  
"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.  
  
"Nothing -- just black -- there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop. "  
Neptunia stepped forward, "I'll go first."  
  
"You want to go first? Are you sure?" said Ron. "I don't know how deep this thing goes. he can keep him asleep. "  
  
Harry took a deep breath. In the few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment he began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.  
  
Neptunia climbed and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom.  
  
She lowered herself and went through the hole until she was hanging on with her hands and looked up and said"If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right? Don't worry too much, okay?"  
  
"Right," said Ron.  
  
"See you in a minute, I hope. . . "  
  
And she let go. Cold, damp air rushed past her as she fell down, down, down and --  
  
FLUMP. With a funny, muffled sort of thump,shelanded on something soft.She sat up and felt around, her eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though she was sitting on some sort of plant. She quickly got up and moved to the side.  
  
"It's okay!" she called up to the light the size of a postage stamp, which was the open trapdoor, "it's a soft landing, you can jump!"  
  
Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to where Neptunia was previously. Harry came down next.  
  
"What's this stuff?" were his first words.  
  
"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione!"  
  
The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Harry's other side.  
  
"We must be miles under the school," she said.  
  
"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron.  
  
"Lucky!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"  
  
She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.  
  
Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as the two boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them. Neptunia however, had moved out of it as soon as she fell.  
  
"Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is -- it's Devil's Snare!"  
  
"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck. "Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.  
  
"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.  
  
"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare. . . what did Professor Sprout say? -- it likes the dark and the damp. "  
  
"So light a fire!" Harry choked.  
  
"Yes -- of course -- but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.  
  
"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"  
  
"Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant. Neptunia's hair lit up in bright orange and yellow fire. It cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unravelled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.  
  
"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Harry as he joined her by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.  
  
"Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis -- 'there's no wood,' honestly. "  
"This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward. Neptunia flipped her hair as she walked, "No, really?"  
  
All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward, and Harry was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, he remembered the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards' bank. If they met a dragon, a fully-grown dragon -- Norbert had been bad enough. . .  
  
"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.  
  
Harry listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.  
  
"Do you think it's a ghost?"  
  
"I don't know. . . sounds like wings to me. "  
  
"There's light ahead -- I can see something moving. "  
  
They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.  
  
"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.  
  
"Probably," said Neptunia."They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once. . . well, there's no other choice...we'll run." She looked to Harry who nodded as Neptunia closed her eyes and concentrated on the Air to form a shield around Harry.  
  
He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. He expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happened. He reached the door untouched. He pulled the handle, but it was locked.  
  
The other two followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm.  
  
"Now what?" said Ron.  
  
"These birds. . . they can't be here just for decoration," said Hermione.  
  
They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering -- glittering ? Neptunia gasped.  
  
"They're not birds!" Harry said suddenly. "They're keys! Winged keys -- look carefully. So that must mean. . . " he looked around the chamber while the other two squinted up at the flock of keys. ". . . yes -- look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"  
  
"But there are hundreds of them!"  
  
Ron examined the lock on the door.  
  
"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one -- probably silver, like the handle. "  
  
They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one. Neptunia was closing her eyes and using the elements to help.   
  
Not for nothing, though, was Harry the youngest Seeker in a century. He had a knack for spotting things other people didn't. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.   
  
"That one!" he called to the others. "That big one -- there -- no, there -- with bright blue wings -- the feathers are all crumpled on one side. "  
  
Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom. Neptunia quickly helped Ron steady himself.  
  
"We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, not taking his eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Ron, you come at it from above -- Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down and I'll try and catch it. Neptunia, barricade the other side with your air. Right, NOW!"  
  
Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, the key dodged them both, and Harry streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Harry leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber as Neptunia breathed heavily.  
  
They landed quickly, and Harry ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned - it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.  
  
"Ready?" Harry asked the other two, his hand on the door handle. They nodded. He pulled the door open.  
  
The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight.  
  
They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly - the towering white chessmen had no faces.  
  
"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.  
  
"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room. "  
  
Behind the white pieces,they could see another door.  
  
"How?" said Hermione nervously.  
  
"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen. "  
  
He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.  
  
"Do we -- er -- have to join you to get across?" The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other two.  
  
"This needs thinking about. . . " he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of four of the black pieces. . . "  
  
Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess--"  
  
"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do. "  
  
"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you next to him instead of that castle. Neptunia you be a pawn on the extreme left."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.  
  
The chessmen seemed to have been listening because at these words a knight, a bishop, a pawn and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board leaving four squares that Harry, Ron, Neptunia and Hermione took.  
  
"White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes. . . look. . . "  
  
A white pawn had moved forward two squares.  
  
Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What if they lost? Ron and Neptunia always co-ordinated and Neptunia was sacrificed early in the game, she was hit in the stomach and thrown across the room. She managed to use Air and Earth to land safely, she was hurt but it was no stronger than Mrs Crawley's punches on a bad day. Shouts of panic went across the room as Ron apologized for not noticing. Neptunia shook her head and sighed as she reassured them she was fine but when she coughed, she swore she saw blood in her hand. She discreetly wiped it on her pant.

"Harry -- move diagonally four squares to the right. "  
  
The white queen smashed a knight to the floor and dragged him off, where he lay quite still, facedown.  
  
"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on. "  
  
Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.   
  
"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think -- let me think. . . "  
  
The white queen turned her blank face toward him.  
  
"Yes. . . " said Ron softly, "It's the only way. . . I've got to be taken. "  
  
"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted. Neptunia stood up from her place on the ground. She looked to the ground and her hair turned red as the rock pieces vibrated around her.  
  
"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me -- that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"  
  
"But--"  
  
"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"  
  
"Ron--"  
  
"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"  
  
There was no alternative.  
  
"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go -- now, don't hang around once you've won. "  
  
He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor -- Hermione screamed but stayed on her square -- the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out. Neptunia ran to him and placed her jacket underneath his head.  
  
Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left.  
  
The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Harry, Neptunia and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.   
"What if he's -- ?"  
  
"He'll be all right," said Harry, trying to convince himself. "What do you reckon's next?"  
  
"We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's. "  
  
They had reached another door.  
  
"All right?" Harry whispered.  
  
"Go on. "  
  
Harry pushed it open.  
  
A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.  
  
"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe. "  
  
He pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next -- but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.  
  
"Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"  
  
They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.  
  
"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry looked over her shoulder to read it:  
  
Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,  
  
Two of us will help you, which ever you would find,  
  
One among us seven will let you move ahead,  
  
Another will transport the drinker back instead,  
  
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,  
  
Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line.  
  
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,  
  
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:  
  
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide  
  
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;  
  
Second, different are those who stand at either end,  
  
But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;  
  
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,  
  
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;  
  
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right  
  
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.  
  
Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing he felt like doing. Neptunia was laughing. "Oh my god! Uncle Sev!"  
  
"Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic -- it's logic -- a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever. "  
  
"But so will we, won't we?"  
  
"Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple. "  
  
"But how do we know which to drink?"  
  
"Give me a minute, or Neptunia...do you want to? "  
Neptunia smiled, although she was extremly nervous, "Sure."

She read the paper once. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. And under two minutes, she clapped her hands.

"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire -- toward the Stone. "  
  
Harry looked at the tiny bottle.  
  
"There's only enough there for two of us," he said. "That's hardly two swallows."

They looked at each other.

"Which one will get a person back through the purple flames?"

Neptunia pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.  
  
"Hermion, you drink that," said Harry. "No, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy -- go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him." Neptunia nodded as she continued, "We'll hold em off but we're no match for them."  
  
"But -- what if You-Know-Who's with him?"  
  
"Well --We were lucky once, weren't we?" said Neptunia laughing, Harry nodded as he continued, "We might get lucky again."  
  
Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and Neptunia and threw her arms around them.  
  
"Hermione!"  
  
"Harry -- you're a great wizard, you know. "  
  
"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.  
  
"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things -- friendship and bravery and -- oh Harry -- be careful!"  
  
"You drink first," said Harry. "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"  
  
"Positive," said Neptunia. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.  
  
"It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously.  
  
"No -- but it's like ice. "  
  
"Quick, go, before it wears off. "  
  
"Good luck -- take care. "  
  
"GO!"  
  
Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire. Harry took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. He turned to face the black flames.  
  
"Here I come," he said, and he took a swallow and gave it to Neptunia who finished it off.  
  
It was indeed as though ice was flooding her body. Must be to cool you enough so that you don't burn. Neptunia was the first to walk, she tried to control the fire and it moved but not by much. When she walked through the wire it felt warm but not like it was burning her. She grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed who did the same in return. 

When Neptunia saw someone standing there she could feel Harry's confusion. Her hair was black and her mind was clear. She knew what she had to do. She opened her mind to Harry, she could hear what he was thinking.  
  
There was already someone there -- but it wasn't Snape. It wasn't even Voldemort.

Neptunia wanted to sigh, oh Harry.


	18. The Man with Two Faces

Neptunia stood there, holding Harry's hand hoping to provide some comfort to him as she remained neutral. The man standing in front of them was none other than Quirrel.

"You!" growled Neptunia as Harry gasped the name.

Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all. That fake bastard, she knew he was faking a disability. Coward!

"Me," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter. Black" He spit out their names as though it were acid. Good, Neptunia thought. She wanted him to burn.

"But I thought -- Snape--" Harry stammered. Yeah, we get it, Harry. Uncle Sev is spooky.

"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and it wasn't his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"

"I would. YOU were the one who tried to curse Harry during the quidditch match, weren't you?"

Neptunia remained black as Harry's confusion and Quirrel's smugness filled the room. Neptunia felt disgusted. She didn't want to feel the horrid man's emotion but she had to manipulate him somehow.

"Yes, I tried to kill you. I was hoping for the both of you but one would suffice at that moment. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a countercurse, trying to save you. "

Harry spoke up in disbelief, "He was?"

"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. Neptunia growled. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really. . . he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular. . . and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you both tonight. "

Quirrel snapped his fingers and Neptunia rolled. In her instinct she forgot about, she forgot about Harry who was still standing still. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry. He turned to Neptunia and ropes after her too. She retaliated by sending vines after him. The ropes and vines struggled against each other. Neptunia huffed as she controlled them from afar, this was quite different from the things she used to do.

Quirrel sneered as he battled Neptunia and spoke to both of them.  
"You both are too nosy to live. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."

"We're not heartless like you" shouted Neptunia as Harry let out a startled sentence. "You let the troll in."

"Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls -- you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off -- and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly." 

Neptunia let out a raged shout and one of the vines rather than go for the ropes, went for Quirrel. The thorns scratched them but the ropes bound Neptunia because they didn't have to deal with the vines any more. Quirrel burnt the vines and turned around as he said, "Now, wait quietly the both of you, I need to examine the mirror."

Neptunia watched as he turned around to face the Mirror of Erised. She shared a glance with Harry who seemed a little panicked. She sent a calming wave his way and quickly focused on Quirrel.

"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this...but he's in London...I'll be far away by the time he gets back... "

Neptunia turned to Harry and mouthed a 'Keep him Distracted' towards him. Harry nodded. "I saw you and Snape in the forest -- " he blurted out. Neptunia tried using fire without using her fingers. It required deep concentration to keep it as small as possible while still burning the rope. She sent a small flame towards Harry as well.

"Yes," said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me -- as though he could, when I had Lord Voldemort on my side. . . "

Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it.

"I see the Stone. . . I'm presenting it to my master. . . but where is it?"

Neptunia scoffed, "You're never gonna get it! It's just a mirror that shows you what you want."

Quirrel turned around to glare at her before turning back to the mirror. Out of her periphery, she noticed rubbing himself against the flame, hoping to speed the process. She looked towards her flame, it was about to cut the ropes. Just a little longer. Harry looked towards her, she mouthed 'just a little longer' towards him and he nodded.

"But Snape always seemed to hate me so much. "

"Oh, he does," said Quirrell casually, "heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you dead. "

"But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing -- I thought Snape was threatening you. . . "

Neptunia felt the fear rolling off of Quirrel before she saw the spasm on his face."Sometimes," he said, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions -- he is a great wizard and I am weak--"

"You mean he was there in the classroom with you?" Harry gasped. Lord Voldemort, Neptunia realized.

"He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly. "I met him when I travelled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it. . . Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me. " Quirrell shivered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me. . . decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me. . . "

Neptunia's ropes burned off and she stood up. Of course, Quirrell had been there the day Gringotts was 'robbed'. Neptunia saw Quirrel looking in the mirror and she ran to Harry as quietly as she could. Mrs Crawley had some use then. She helped Harry up, as she tried to take a peak at the mirror. She had to find the stone before Quirrell to hide it or prevent it from getting into his hands. Beside her, Harry was doing the same.

Quirrell cursed under his breath. "I don't understand. . . is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?"

Harry tripped and Neptunia caught him before he could fall but they still made a lot of noise. But he didn't care. Neptunia was panicking. Quirrell could easily kill them both if he really tried. Should she move or? She stilled and made sure Harry was too as Quirrell talked, "What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"

Neptunia's was still black and for the first time, she was glad her emotions weren't on display because she was terrified because a voice responded and it was coming from Quirrell.

"Use the kids...Use the kids..."

Quirrel turned and clapped his hands. The ropes fell off Harry and he ordered for them to come towards the mirror.

"Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see. "

Neptunia desperately reached for Harry, physically by holding his hand and mentally. _Harry, we have to lie. We have to look as one and lie. Tell me you understand._

Miraculously, Harry's reply came. _Yeah. Got it._

Quirrell moved behind them and Neptunia had to wrinkle her nose as she quipped, "Geez, don't you ever shower?"

Neptunia stared at the mirror and was surprised to see the Mirror Harry take out the stone from his pocket, wink and put in Neptunia's sweatpant's pockets as Mirror Neptunia smirked and nodded.

Neptunia felt a weight in her pocket. Amazing, how did- No Neptunia focus. She squeezed his hand and Harry squeezed back.

"Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"

Harry told his excuse, Neptunia screwed up her courage and said, "I'm Head Girl and I've topped the records for NEWT exams."

Quirrell cursed and pushed them aside. Harry stumbled and looked towards her. She nodded and looked towards the door. She was about to make a run for it. When-

"They lie. . . They lie. . . "

Harry stilled and Neptunia stood in front of Harry. Quirrell took that as a confirmation. "Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?"

The high voice spoke again.

"Let me speak to him. . . face-to-face. . . "

"Master, you are not strong enough!"

"I have strength enough. . . for this. . . "

Neptunia felt petrified. Move, she screamed inside her head. She needed to leave. MOVE. Quirrell turned around as he unwrapped his turban. It fell away and Neptunia felt disgusted. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Neptunia had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.

"Neptunia Black...Harry Potter.." It whispered. Neptunia stood beside Harry and tried to move him backwards but he was standing still.

"See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapor. . . I have form only when I can share another's body. . . but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds. . . Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks. . . you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest. . . and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own. . . Now. . . why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"

So, he knew. Harry jerked and Neptunia dragged him as she stepped backwards.

"Don't be a fool Black," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me. . . or you'll meet the same end as your parents. . . They died begging me for mercy. . . "

"LIAR!" Harry shouted suddenly alongside Neptunia.

Quirrell was walking backwards at them so that Voldemort could still see him. The evil face was now smiling.

"How touching. . . " it hissed. "I always value bravery. . . Yes, your parents were brave. . . I killed your father first, and he put up a courageous fight. . . but your mother needn't have died. . . she was trying to protect you. .and Black, your mother was admirable in her attempt. Now, hand over the stone so they needn't have died in vain."

"NEVER!" shouted Neptunia.

Harry ran towards the flame door as Neptunia ran behind him so she could close the flame behind her but Voldemort screamed "SEIZE THEM" Quirrell sent a bunch of ropes towards her and Harry. She deflected the ones aimed at Harry but she was bound by them. Quirrell gripped Harry 's hand and he shouted out in pain. Neptunia's eyes widened. She closed her eyes and opened them. She was sure that her eyes were like orange balls of flame-like her hair. The ropes burned off. To Neptunia and Harry's surprise though, Quirrell had already let go of Harry and his hands were...blistering? Neptunia's scar had been hurting when Quirrell touched Harry but it lessened when he let go of Harry.

"Master, I cannot hold him -- my hands -- my hands!"

And Quirrell, though pinning Harry to the ground with his knees, let go of his neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms -- Harry could see they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny.

"Then kill him, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort. NO!

Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face --

"AAAARGH!"

Neptunia moved and ran towards Quirrell as he rolled off of Harry who was losing consciousness. She moved to Quirrell and grabbed his face with her hands as her hair burned brighter and hotter hoping to cause more pain to Quirrell. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw her off. Neptunia was sure her heart was going to burst. It was hurting so bad. She couldn't breathe. Everything was spinning and hurting. She could hear Voldemort's screams of "KILL HER! KILL HER!" and another voice shouting "Harry! Neptunia!" before darkness reigned.

Oh, gods. She was falling, where was her air? There's something gold and black. What was it? She tried to reach for it but everything was just so numb. She blinked. It was Professor Dumbledore and Harry. It was their glasses that she saw. She blinked.

"Good afternoon Neptunia. Harry woke up just before you," said Dumbledore as his smiling face came into focus.

Harry gasped as though he had remembered something, "Sir! The stone! The mirror! And Quirrell!"

"Calm yourself, dear boy, you are a little behind the times," said Dumbledore. "Quirrell does not have the Stone. "

"Then who does? Sir, I--"

"Harry, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out. "

Neptunia giggled and Professor Dumbledore sent a smile her way. She looked around and noticed that they were in the hospital wing. She looks to the tables beside her and Harry. Huh. She didn't know that the hospital wing had a candy shop.

"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it. "

Neptunia laughed as she said, "I would've loved to see that."

Harry looked towards her and smiled before turning to Professor Dumbledore. "How long have we been in here?"

"Three days. Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come round, they have been extremely worried. "

"But sir, the Stone--" interjected Neptunia.

"I see you are not to be distracted. Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing very well on your own, I must say. "

"You got there? You got Hermione's owl?" asked Harry

"We must have crossed in midair. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you."

"It was you," whispered Neptunia

"I feared I might be too late," said Professor Dumbledore as Neptunia looked towards the side.

"You almost were, sir. I couldn't protect the stone for much longer. And Harry had already lost consciousness. I was..."

"Not the stone, dear. You-- the effort involved nearly killed you. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had. As for the Stone, it has been destroyed. "

Neptunia's jaw dropped. She looked to Harry who blankly spoke up."Destroyed? ut your friend -- Nicolas Flamel--"

"Oh, you know about Nicolas?" said Dumbledore, sounding quite delighted. "You did do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat and agreed it's all for the best. "

Neptunia attempted to get up, "But they'll die!" She was horrified. It was because of Voldemort--

"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die. "

Professor smiled at Harry's look of amazement and Neptunia's horrified face. Neptunia's hair fell in front of her face and it was back to their usual blue and purple. She tucked her bangs behind her ear and looked towards Professor Dumbledore. "Sir, surely there must be another way."

"To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all -- the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them. " 

Harry leaned back and Neptunia put her head in her hands. Professor hummed and smiled towards the ceiling.

"Sir?" said Harry. "I've been thinking. . . sir -- even if the Stone's gone, Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who--"

"Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself. "

Neptunia looked up and smiled, "Yes sir, that and his name in french is stupid."

Professor Dumbledore looked towards her and smiled. Harry looked confused before he continues, "Yes, sir. Well, Voldemort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"

"No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share. . . not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, Harry, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time -- and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power. "

Harry nodded, but stopped quickly, Neptunia suspected because it was because his head hurt as her chest did when she moved. Then he said, "Sir, there are some other things.."

He hesitated and Neptunia cut in, "Sir, there are some things we'd like to know and sir, we were hoping.. that you'd tell the truth about it."

"The truth. " Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should, therefore, be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie. "

Neptunia looked towards Harry, "Well. . . Voldemort said that he only killed our parents cause they tried to stop him from killing us. But why would he want to kill us in the first place?"

Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.

"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day. . . put it from your mind, for now, Harry. When you are older. . . I know you hate to hear this. . . when you are ready, you will know. "

Neptunia looked away. One day...it never comes fast enough. Neptunia hoped it would. She looked towards Professor Dumbledore, "Sir, Why couldn't Quirrell touch us?"

"Your mothers died for you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign. . . to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, couldn't touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good. "

Professor Dumbledore became suddenly interested in a bird that sat on the window sill as Harry wiped his tears with the bedsheet. Neptunia let her tears have free reign behind her hands. Mom...she thought, I love you too.

Harry found his voice and said, "And the invisibility cloak -- do you know who sent it to me?"

"Ah -- your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it. " Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Useful things. . . your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here. "

Neptunia tilted her head, "Where are the kitchens though?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled at her as Harry continued, "And there's something else. . . "

"Fire away. "

"Quirrell said Snape--"

"Professor Snape, Harry. " Neptunia smothered her laugh with her fist.

"Yes, him -- Quirrell said he hates me because he hated my father. Is that true?"

"Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive. "

"What?" asked Harry.

"He saved his life. "

"What ?" Neptunia deadpanned.

"Yes. . . " said Dumbledore dreamily. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt. . . I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace. . . "

Harry tried to understand this but it made his head pound, so he stopped.

Neptunia sat upright, "Sir, I need to ask one more thing."

"Just the one?"

"How did I get the Stone out of the mirror?"

"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone -- find it, but not use it -- would be able to get it, otherwise, they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes. . . Now, enough questions. I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit flavoured one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them -- but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?"

"I'd be cautious sir, they are from Fred and George." Neptunia giggled. He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!"  
  
  


**\---**   
  
  


Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict but Neptunia knew how to melt even the hardest of hearts.

"Just five minutes," Harry pleaded.

"Absolutely not. "

"You let Professor Dumbledore in. . . " interjected Neptunia

"Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You need rest. "

"I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey. . . "

"Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes only. "

And she let Ron and Hermione in.

"Harry! Neptunia!"

Hermione flung her arms around Neptunia and though it hurt, she was glad because she loved hugs.

"Oh Neptunia! Harry! We were sure you were going to -- Dumbledore was so worried--"

"The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?"

It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumours. Harry and Neptunia told the story. Each interjecting at certain moments to continue the story.Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Harry told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud. Ron shouted 'Bloody Hell' when Neptunia said that she lit her hair on fire and turned her eyes into balls of fire accidentally to burn Quirrell after Harry fell unconscious.

"So the Stone's gone?" said Ron finally. "Flamel's just going to die ?"

"That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that -- what was it? -- 'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. '" said Harry as Neptunia smiled and shook her head.

"I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.

"So what happened to you two?" said Harry.

"Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round -- that took a while -- and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall -- he already knew-- 'Neptunia and Harry have gone after him, haven't they?'--and hurtled off to the third floor. "

"D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"

"Well," Hermione exploded, "if he did -- I mean to say that's terrible -- you could have been killed. "

Neptunia shook her head, laid back down and let Harry speak

"No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give us a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let us find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought we had the right to face Voldemort if we could. . . "

"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course -- you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you -- but the food'll be good. "

Neptunia laughed, "Can you ever stop thinking about food?"

At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.

"You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT" she said firmly.

After a good night and a date with sleep. Neptunia felt great and by the looks of it, so did Harry.

"I want to go to the feast," he told Madam Pomfrey as she straightened his many candy boxes. "I can, can't I?"

"Professor Dumbledore says you are to be allowed to go," she said stiffly, as though in her opinion Professor Dumbledore didn't realize how risky feasts could be. "And you have another visitor. "

"Oh, good," said Harry. "Who is it?" Neptunia smiled, "I was bored."

Hagrid sidled through the door as he spoke. As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked too big to be allowed. He sat down next to Harry, took one look at him, and burst into tears.

"It's -- all -- my -- ruddy -- fault!" he sobbed, his face in his hands. I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know, an' I told him! Yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"

Neptunia got up and hugged Hagrid, "Oh NO! Don't say that! We all make mistakes!" She looked to Harry.

"Hagrid!" said Harry, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard. "Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldemort we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him. "

"Yeh could've died!" sobbed Hagrid. "An' don' say the name!"

Neptunia looked towards Harry with a deadpan and they nodded. "VOLDEMORT!" they shouted and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying. "We've met him and We're calling him by his name. Please cheer up, Hagrid, we saved the Stone, it's gone, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, I've got loads. . . " Neptunia sat beside him and offered a chocolate frog.

Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, "That reminds me. I've got yeh a present. "

"It's not a stoat sandwich, is it?" said Harry anxiously, and at last Hagrid gave a weak chuckle.

"Nah. Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday ter fix it. 'course, he shoulda sacked me instead -- anyway, got yeh this. . . " He pulled out two books.

It seemed to be a handsome, leather-covered book. Neptunia opened her and it was full of pictures of her father, mother, Harry's parents and Uncle Sev. They were waving and smiling (Uncle Sev wasn't but he was waving.)

"Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos. . . knew yeh didn' have any. . . d'yeh like it?"

Neptunia hugged Hagrid as Harry remained quiet. But he understood.  
  
  


**\---**   
  
  


When Harry and her walked into the Great Hall, Neptunia ignored everyone's whispers and stares. Her hair was in her Gryffindor colours and pixie cut. She knew, now, they would start talking good about her rather than be against her...for a little while at least.

Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully,your heads are all a little fuller than they were. . . you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts. . .

Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with two hundred and fifty-two points; third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two. "

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Neptunia sighed, Draco was going to be insufferable. She looked up to see him banging his goblet on the table. Yeah, she was right.

"Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account. "

The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little. Neptunia smirked, Oooh. This is gonna be good. She thought.

"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes. . .

"First -- to Mr. Ronald Weasley. . . "

Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.

". . . for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points. "

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"

At last there was silence again.

"Second -- to Miss Hermione Granger. . . for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points. "

Hermione buried her face in her arms; Harry strongly suspected she had burst into tears. Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves -- they were a hundred points up.

"Third -- to Mr. Harry Potter. . . " said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. ". . . for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points. "

The din was deafening. Everyone was yelling themselves hoarse and Neptunia's hair was flashing. Oh, Professor why couldn't you have given us atleast sixty-one points more. Then we could have won!

Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.

"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I, therefore, award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom. "

Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry patted Neptunia' arms as she groaned and put her head down as soon as she finished her calculations.

Gryffindor was still at four hundred and twenty-two. While Slytherin was four hundred and seventy-two. Neptunia grit her teeth. UGH! Draco was gonna make so much fun of her.

Professor Dumbledore smiled and tilted his head, "But wait," Oh no. The room fell silent immediately, "It is one thing to pretend and it is another to pretend to protect and reassure the ones that we deeply care for. For this..." Professor Dumbledore paused, "I award sixty points to Ms. Neptunia Black."

Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Fred and George lifted Neptunia up and rested her upon their shoulders as she laughed. This was amazing! She thought. 

Harry, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.

"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration. "

He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Uncle Sev was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand with a horrible forced smile. She laughed as she caught his eye. She didn't mind his irritation. Things were alright after all. She was home.  
  
  


**\---**   
  
  


When the results came around, Neptunia passed with flying colours! (She expected it really.) Neptunia performed charms to extend her backpack's size and put a lightweight charm on it as she packed everything into it.

Notes were handed out to remind them that magic wasn't allowed out and Fred sadly said from beside her that he wished that they would forget to give it to them She patted his arm in consolation.

Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.

It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.

"You gotta come over for the summer, the three of you." said Ron, "I'll send you guys an owl."

"Thanks," said Harry, "I'll need something to look forward to. " People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:

"Later Potter! Bye Black!"

"See ya next year Black! Potter!"

"Bye Neptunia! Bye Harry!"

"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at them.

"Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Harry sharing a look with Neptunia.

Harry, Neptunia, Ron and Hermione passed through the gateway together. "There he is, Mom, there he is, look!"

It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron.

"Harry Potter!" she squealed. "Look, Mom! I can see--"

"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point. "

Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them.

"Busy year?" she said.

"Very," said Harry. Neptunia came beside him, "Thanks once again for the Fudge and Sweater Mrs Wealey."

"Oh, it was nothing, dear. "

"Ready, are you?"

It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still mustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry.

"You must be Harry's family!" said Mrs. Weasley.

"In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day. " He walked away.

Harry hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione. He knew that Neptunia would visit so he wasn't worried that much.

"See you over the summer, then. "

"Hope you have -- er -- a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.

"Oh, I will," said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face. "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer. . ."

Soon after Harry left, Neptunia met Hermione's parents who were very nice. After they left, Neptunia started her walk to the subway. Neptunia was kind of sad but on the bright side, she would meet someone new. The Light Orphange's new caretaker. Hmmm, Neptunia thought. I wonder what she's like. Hope's are up.


	19. "Honestly, just call me Dri."

When Neptunia reached the Light Orphanage, she was worried and nervous. Which is why she had been staring at the door for the past half hour. When she finally got the courage, she knocked on the door.

The door opened and a woman who was 5ft 11" tall opened the door. She had red hair and brown eyes. She wore a hoodie with a gaming pun on it. She looked down and smiled at Neptunia, "Blue-Purple hair, grey eyes and cute looking girl. You must be Neptunia Black."

Neptunia smiled hesitantly, "H-How'd you know?" Neptunia stammered. Shit, she needs to get control. Neptunia thought. She was sure that the woman would laugh at her for stammering but to her surprise, the woman just smiled, "I got a letter from the officials and the letter you left behind. You were the one who wrote about the boarding school right?" Right, she had left a letter about a 'boarding school'. Neptunia figured that she needed to perform a check on the woman. Mental check. How does that work again? Damn it, she'd have to do the innocent girl act.

Neptunia nodded, "I really like it there, could you please not change it?"

The woman smiled and stepped to the side, "Come in, and besides who said anything about taking you out of that school?"

Neptunia smiled and stepped in. She took a look around. It had changed, it was... homier. It gave off the cosy and happy feeling that it should have given off before. The living or main room had two couches, a recliner, two loveseats and a bean bag or two littered around the room. The wall on the left had a bookshelf which held a variety of books. The woman smiled and went to the kitchen. "Would you like to eat anything?"

Neptunia rubbed the back of her neck and replied in the positive. Neptunia climbed up the stairs, the girls and boys rooms had changed as well. There were bunk-bed that looked like they were straight out of a magazine. And it wasn't anything too girly or too boyish. Neptunia smiled, not playing into gender stereotypes. She was liking this woman more and more. Neptunia walked over to the Bunk-bed that was closer to the window and put her bag on the top bunk. She liked having a vantage point.

Once she climbed it, she noticed that there was a flat table-like platform connected to all the top-bunks in the room. It was slightly raised above the top-bunks and there were drawers underneath the platforms so that they could keep a few things. She got down and went to the side of the room which was connected to the bathroom. There was huge cupboard and they were numbered with empty slips underneath the numbers which Neptunia guessed were for names. There were cupboards for their clothes.And the woman, she seemed just nice in general, from what she could see anyway

Neptunia walked downstairs to see the woman sitting on the sofa watching the T.V (They had a TV now?!). The coffee table in front held a few grilled cheese sandwiches. She walked over and sat down on the bean bag. Wow, this place was amazing. She looked down to see a play-station and a bunch of games to along with it. Neptunia looked over to the woman, "How'd you get this stuff? Everything has changed, we've got wardrobes now? And the mini-library? Video Games? Those are extremely costly! The beds looked like they came from a modern living magazine! I haven't checked out the kitchen yet! How'd you get the officials to do this? It's..." Neptunia paused and looked towards the woman who looked hopeful. Neptunia bit her lip as she sniffed, "It's wonderful. How can I ever thank you?"

The woman smiled and held her arms out for a hug. "Well, you can start by getting to know me and then be a friend?"

Neptunia let out a wet laugh and launched herself into the woman's arms. "Hello, My name is Neptunia Severus Black. I'm a little weird and I'm really smart. I have a few degrees and PhDs and I'm eleven years old, it's because I have an eidetic memory that I finished my courses."

The woman laughed, "I'm Dryah. That's spelt with a D.R.Y.A.H. I'm a chocoholic, I'm a teacher at a kindergarten nearby. And I really love video games, guess you can call me a gamer gal. Honestly, just call me Dri."

Dryah smiled, this sweet little child was just adorable.

Neptunia looked to the side, a hopeful feeling growing in her chest, "I guess I no longer have to work at the cafe or the restaurant anymore, do I?" She looked up to Dryah who shook her head.

"No, I know you're that kind of girl who likes to do whatever. So I need to set some guidelines. Okay?"

Neptunia nodded, "You won't leave will you?"

Dryah frowned, "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

Neptunia shook her head, "No." She took a deep breath, "I have a few friends? They live a bit far off and..." Neptunia trailed off before shaking her head. She looked towards the woman, "Would it be okay if I went to visit them sometimes?"

Dryah nodded and smiled, "Sure, I have a feeling you'd be lonely in the orphanage now. So why not."

Neptunia sputtered, "Lonely? What!?" Neptunia thought back to how all of her ducklings were adopted or fostered and she stilled, "Did anyone else not come in?" She looked towards her current guardian.

Dryah smiled sadly, "Darling, after you left a few kids came and went because of their records and since you weren't here..." Dryah trailed off, the message was clear. Neptunia was torn between sadness and happiness. They all had gotten homes.

Neptunia gulped down the odd feeling in her throat; "I'm happy." Neptunia smiled at the shocked face of the woman in front of her. "I am. Truly, it's been so long since foster kids actually experienced happy homes."

Neptunia got up and grabbed the empty plates and moved towards the kitchen. Dryah got up and took the plates from her. Neptunia looked up startled; Dryah just smiled and took it inside, "Why don't you unpack? I'm sure you have a lot to do. We'll go over the rules later." Neptunia nodded and moved upstairs.

As she sat down on the bed she looked towards the changed rooms and chokes out a strangled sob. Oh; Neptunia thinks, this is what grief must be like. The changed rooms, the empty hallways, no creaky floors to tell her whether someone was coming or not. It changed for the better but the happiness that should have come from it wasn't there, it was drowning. Drowning from the fact that her ducklings that were fostered actually got adopted. And she _was_ happy for them. She was! But she wasn't ready for the fact that she was all alone now.

Neptunia got up and wiped her face. She changed into her favourite hoodie and slid her wand into her sleeve with a leather strap holding it in place. Neptunia figured she could ask Ora to make a holder for her. She took out her sketchbook and drew her first drawing. A drawing of a girl in an empty but well-furnished room, full of bunk beds. For now; that was enough.

There was a knock as Neptunia put the finishing touches on the background sketch. Neptunia looked up to see Dryah, who simply smiled and told her it was dinner time. Neptunia nodded and climbed down. She walked to the cupboard to put her sketchbook inside, and after a thought, she put in her wand as well and sent the bag to her room in 'Occultatum regnum elementis' Which was a mouthful. As they walked down the corridor, Neptunia couldn't help but feel awkward. What was she supposed to talk about? Was she supposed to remain silent? Ask about the weather?!!

"Oh and Darling?"

Neptunia raised an eyebrow, this lady was calling her darling a lot...she'll roll with it. "Yes ma'am?"

Dryah just laughed, "Oh don't call me Ma'am, just me Dri or something. Anyways, I was wondering what are your hobbies. Since it's going to be just the two of us for a while."

Neptunia shrugged before answering, "Reading, art? Music." 

Dryah nodded and both of them silently ate their dinner. Dryah seemed to take a bite of her chilli before bursting into flames. She chugged the juice and slammed her cup down. Neptunia laughed. "It's not that spicy you know."

Dryah smiled, "Not to you probably."

After Neptunia was done, she picked up her juice, "Aww, the ice melted."

Dryah smiled, "DO you want some?"

Neptunia shook her head, she didn't want to get a sore throat. She finished her juice and licked her lips. She liked Apple jui-...

How did Dryah know? Neptunia placed the cup down, "Do you like Apple juice?"

Dryah shook her head, "No. I like the pomegranate flavour." 

Neptunia nodded, something was fishy, she smiled and placed the dishes in the sink. She had a look in the reflection that she could see. Dryah was staring irritatedly at the ice. The ICE! She chugged hers and Neptunia...oh no.

Neptunia turned around, smiled before abruptly faked a yawn. "Woah! That came out of nowhere."

Neptunia could see the world blurring slightly. But she could still see Dryah's face. "Darling, before you go up. You need to know, Mrs Abigail was killed in an accident, a hit and run by a drunk driver.

Neptunia couldn't focus on any object, the world was shaking. The drug was taking effect and whatever Dryah was saying wasn't helpin but she looked Dryah in the eyes.

She was telling the truth. But ugh.

Neptunia clutched her head as she slid onto the floor. She heard a muffled thud. Where did that come from? What was going on? She didn't want to be here. What...was going to happen?

Dryah stepped closer and her heels...why would she wear heels if she was a gamer? "We'll take care of you darling. Your abilities will be helpful for our cause."

Wh-What? Neptunia looked up. Dryah was smiling...but that didn't look nice. Neptunia couldn't keep her eyes open. "Hushh. Don't worry. You'll be useful."

D.R.Y.A.H...no, she didn't want to be -

And before Neptunia could think any further, she blacked out. 

Persephone sneered. Honestly, they sent a person named 'Dryah' to a literal genius with weird elemental abilities and expected her not to see through the fake personality. She took off the hoodie she wore. That was disgusting. And being a chocoholic? Unnecessary. 

She took the walkie-talkie out of the pocket. "Target is secure." She made to blow something before she realised she wasn't chewing gum.

"Bring in the subject." a clear and cold voice responded.

"What about the original caretaker?"

"Make sure no one finds the body."

"Yes sir."

Persephone looked at the sleeping girl. Her hair was black. Must be her original hair colour. Persephone smiled, Project Cerberus was finally ready and with the power of elements...Hail HYDRA.


	20. This is Bullsh*t

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Tortue? Mild? I dunno, just be careful.

Neptunia woke up dazed and disoriented. She tried to move her hands but she felt bound. She lifted her head as much as she could to see that she was lying on an iron table and her arms and legs were tied up. 

There were needles laced with....something, surrounding her hands and feet, meaning if she so much as moved a centimetre, she could get pricked with god knows whatever it what was. She breathed deeply and tried to control the needles but before she could get far, the door banged out. Neptunia jolted, gasped and grimaced in pain as she got pricked by various needles. 

Neptunia gazed around the room, it was a small one with chains on the wall and some descending from the roof. It was dark and dingy, smelling of dirt and blood. The only saving grace was the tiny rectangle with bars on the top which served as the ventilation. Neptunia craned her neck and she could see a bit of the outside. So, she could run away if she broke the wall. The whole place was another level of deadly. 

While Neptunia was smart in a way, she didn't have a lot of experience. She was still an eleven year old. She still has _so_ much to learn. Neptunia jostled her chest, in hopes of getting out or loosening the rope surrounding it but all she succeeded in doing was pricking herself with the needles. Neptunia hissed. It hurt. It _hurt_

What had happened? It was all so blurry. Dryah..no, that wasn't her name. Whatever it was, that lady wasn't nice. No, she wasn't nice at all. And thinking of her, the woman came strutting into the room with a smirk on her face. Well, wasn't that _just great_ for her...

"My name is Persephone." She paused to grin dangerously at her. "You see, HYDRA-" 

Neptunia shook her head, "Wait! Wait!" Neptunia took a breath in, "Wasn't Hydra destroyed? Y'know because of Captain America?" 

Persephone scoffed, "If you think that because of the loss of a leader, HYDRA will fall. You are mistaken." 

Neptunia cut her off again, "Listen, lady, I don't care about your little boy band. I want out."

Persephone scoffed, "You have no choice. You will be a good little soldat." What she had said at the end of her sentence, Neptunia had no idea but she recognised that it was Russian. Sounded eerily like Soldier. _Hell naw_.

"I will do no such thing." Neptunia raised her chin in defiance.

Persephone laughed and it was chilling, "You, little Neptune, are going to be our new pet. Whether you like it or not, besides, we have ways of making you obey like a good dog."

Neptunia blinked, was this woman serious? This level of delusion was new. Neptunia just shook her head and grinned lopsidedly, "Aww, I'm flattered that you think I'm cute but I'm a person and I'm really not a follower unless I want to...and I _really_ don't want to." On the outside, Neptunia was smiling but she was really scared. Her hair was still black.

Persephone stood tall and smiled thinly with veiled disgust, "We'll see darling." 

Those words were laced with venom and ill intent. It caused a shiver to run through Neptunia's body. Persephone snapped her fingers and a few doctors or what appeared to be doctors came into the room. Persephone walked away and as she walked her heels clicked with a different kind of intensity, Neptunia watched her go. As Persephone walked away, Neptunia tried to get out but Persephone's voice rang out, "Don't try and escape. The needles are laced with drugs to keep you sluggish and worn out, helpless and unable to do anything."

Neptunia raised her eyebrow, so that's why she felt tired out. Neptunia groaned in frustration as she tried to use one of her elements but they weren't responding properly as she couldn't focus at all. She heard Persephone exclaim softly, "I almost forgot." 

Neptunia acerbically spat out a word, "What?"

Persephone looked back, "Not you." She looked to the men and women in labcoats, "Undo her."

Neptunia's eyes went wide, "What? Wait! No, WHAT!?"

The men and women descended upon her and in a long time, Neptunia felt a familiar feeling. It was like being a 5-year-old again. That feeling...she felt like she was,

Being Trapped. 

**\---**

Neptunia's wrists ached as she pulled one of her arms away from the wall, only to have the other pulled back. Neptunia sighed. Useless to try, she knew this place like the back of her hand. 

Her whole body was aching in ways she didn't know were possible. They injected her with some sort of serum and it was burning her inside out but Neptunia was familiar with pain at this rate. How many days it had been since she first heard the words 'Undo her', Neptunia had no proper clue since she had passed out many times with no clue for how long she had been so.

A few days ago (was it a few days? hours?), Neptunia had been forced to undergo a transformation. She suspected that the only reason she survived it is because of her being a witch and it counted as transfiguration. But she wasn't going to tell the people at HYDRA that. She smirked to herself, let them lose their head trying to figure out how it worked.   
  
But she hated one part of the torture with passion and that was waterboarding. She was supposed to have control. She didn't like being under the water without being free. They trapped her and she didn't like that. And it raised another problem.

Neptunia hung her head, her elemental powers were another problem. She could no longer control them. Was it because she had refused to listen to her instincts to scream and run? To fight back? No. That couldn't be it. Her powers were more than just that. I mean, Neptunia thought, weren't they? She never wanted to fight back against Mrs Crawley but wasn't there a period when...  
  
Not to mention, her hair. It was permanently black nowadays. She wanted her red, her pink, her blues and even white! She didn't like the Black. She didn't want it. It felt bad. Black. BAD. BLACK. _BLACK_. **BLACK**. **BL** \- BREATHE! Neptunia swallowed to get rid of the lump in her throat. In the back of her mind, Neptunia wondered if Black was the colour of being trapped or closed off.

The door opened and Neptunia wearily raised her head, "Persephone! Did you miss me so much?"

Persephone punched her and Neptunia felt her cracked lips burst open. "Where are your powers!?"

Neptunia laughed like it was some sick joke, her life was one probably, "Hell if I know." Neptunia shook her head, "It's gone. Your plan for an elemental wolf is going bye-bye."

Persephone looked down at her, "Elemental? Maybe. Wolf? _No_."

Neptunia looked up, "What."

Persephone smirked, "Say, do you know what today is?"

Neptunia rolled her eyes. "No, seeing as I have no calendar down here." The woman was getting on her nerves. What she would do to just hit this woman. To fight back.

Persephone laughed and threw her a dead flower, "Happy Birthday Neptunia."

Neptunia looked down at the flower, the first of August. A month. These assholes took away a month and she had one left to go home. Hogwarts, oh she missed it. It felt like a distant memory. A distant feeling. She had missed Harry's twelfth birthday too. Neptunia looked up at Persephone and growled, her canines, which were now elongated, bared at the woman.  
  
Neptunia wanted to fight. She wanted to feel the heat when she played with fire. The softness of the earth when she commanded it. The lightness of air when she flew. She wanted to use water without drowning. Without feeling disgusted or nauseous. Neptunia saw everything blur and felt something run down her face and it felt soft somehow. Like it was giving her a sweet caress. 

Persephone laughed and Neptunia felt her blood boil. She wanted to be _free_ and this low life woman stood there in front of her and _mocked her_? Neptunia closed her eyes as she took a breath in and she as released it she opened her eyes and pulled both her arms. Persephone looked afraid as she stepped back. 

_Good_. She should be.

Neptunia rose to her feet and whispered one word, "Run." As Persephone turned, Neptunia flicked her wrists and the chains that once held her were now at her command. Neptunia jerked her hands outwards and curled her fingers outwards, as much as she could anyway. The Chains flew to Persephone and wrapped around her. Persephone fell and Neptunia looked to the other side of the room and brought the rope to her. She used the rope to gag her.   
  
Neptunia couldn't understand how or why her powers were suddenly all too complacent right now but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Neptunia smiled with hate dripping off of every syllable, "Thanks for the Birthday Present." Neptunia picked up the dead violet and tucked it in Persephone's hair. 

Neptunia turned to the wall and clenched her fist. She raised it before bringing it down fast.

The wall crumbled and Neptunia ran. Neptunia ran. Her lungs ached and her legs felt like jelly. She stopped only when she felt she was far enough. Neptunia took a breath in as she stood in the middle of a forest. She gazed at a point ahead of her, "Ad eundum regnum I."

A portal opened and Neptunia stepped through, only to collapse and utter only three words, "This is bullshit." before losing consciousness.


	21. Long road? I'll take the crash course.

When Neptunia woke up, she felt like she was hit by a truck...multiple times. She opened her eyes and immediately shut them. It was bright, way too bright for her sensitive eyes. She moved her head and squinted to try and see where she had landed.  
  
Regalia was sitting in a chair reading a book and Neptunia grinned thinking, finally picked up a book did she? "H-Hey." Her voice came out croaky due to lack of use. Regalias gasped and got up. She moved towards Neptunia and her hands fluttered about before pressing the button to call the healer. 

Regalia grabbed the water bottle on the table nearby and held it Neptunia's lips. "Slowly.."

Neptunia drank it and licked her lips, last time she was awake...it was the first of August. Neptunia moved a little, and Regalia got the hint and helped her sit up. Neptunia was anxious, she didn't want to stay in another 'hospital'. 

The healer entered and started the check-ups. Regalia was smiling and looking hopeful, so that was probably a good sign. The healer was humming every time she saw the results and that was another tick in Neptunia's checklist.

The healer nodded after it all was done, "You are good to go, just take it easy for a few weeks and you shall be back to perfect shape in almost no time."

Neptunia smiled and nodded at the healer. She thanked the woman for help and looked towards Regalia who look worried but happy. Neptunia sighed and raised her bandage ridden arms to invite Regalia for a hug. Regalia ran in for a gentle hug. Once she pulled back she asked, "What happened to you? Do you know what today is? The fifth of AUGUST!!"

Neptunia sighed, "I took down an undead organisation is what happened!" she smirked, "Okay, so these Hydra people were after me and they thought I was a mutant yeah? So for a few days, they tried to make me, Ummm, do stuff like their bidding. But I was like 'Nah mate, that ain't happening'. And yesterday she gave me a dead violet-" 

Regalia interrupted her quick and witty (in her opinion) recap to ask her what kind of violet, and Neptunia responded by making a living violet. Regalia stared at it before saying, "Violets, a symbol of innocence and purity." Neptunia paused as she held it. She stared at it. Neptunia hesitated and Regalia took that as her chance to take it and tuck it into her braided hair, which surprisingly had turned into her preferred colour. The violet flower fit in perfectly. Neptunia smiled and continued to tell the heavily edited story and made it seem like she had hurt herself while transforming.

Oracle soon had gotten the same story when she visited Neptunia during one of her recovery and physical therapy sessions. Oracle smiled, "It's a long road to recovery, Neptunia." 

Neptunia looked away to Regalia who wasn't allowed to train like her but was allowed to watch. After all, she hadn't turned ten yet, but soon she would and soon like her, she would join the training, Neptunia smirked, "Long road you say? I'll take the crash course."  
  
The next few weeks saw Neptunia training her elemental powers from the ground up again. Now she could control two elements at once. Also, she had mastered all the elements when used individually. She could also transform into a wolf and run at fast speeds without tiring. She learned a lot about Natural and Made Werewolves. The Natural Werewolves were werewolves who were born with the abilities and Made Werewolves were the ones who were turned by a Werewolf bite. Neptunia learned first hand by a few elemental Werewolves about their hierarchy and how it worked. Neptunia suspected that she would study about Made Werewolves in the future.

Something else that Neptunia found out was that she was an Omega. An Omega was the heart and soul of the pack. If the Omega wasn't happy and at peace then the pact wasn't either. Since the Omega holds the pack together, she was responsible for the peace. And Neptunia was overly pleased to find out that when an Omega was angered, hell hath no fury. Although since she was neither, the transformation at full moon did not apply to her. Although, she did have some pack instincts and canine senses.

Neptunia was delighted to find that Regalia while new was as clumsy as she was when she began. She used this opportunity to tease Regalia relentlessly though not cruelly. Seeing Regalia try to go the same path as she did, was little heartwarming though.  
  
One evening when Regalia was trying to perform specific functions of one element and Neptunia was trying to control three elements. So far she had mastered Water and Fire (when used together of course). Now she needed to add the other elements to the mix. Sure, it was easy enough to do each element on its own but something that was quite giddy inside Neptunia itched to be the best.   
  
Although Neptunia was a bit bummed that she hadn't received any letters at all. NONE! Neither Harry, Ron, Hermione nor Draco had written to her. It was a bit disheartening actually. Were they not friends? Did they finally decide that Neptunia was too freakish and leave her? No. That couldn't be right, after all, they had become friends knowing who she was. A metamorphangus and an elemental. They knew her and she knew them. Of course, something wrong must've happened with the owls or they might not be able to reach her while she was in the Elemental Kingdom.

Neptunia paused in her training, the elements floating around her. She needed to get her supplies and if that was the case she should have her letters. Neptunia took a deep breath in and used an elemental summoning spell to bring her Hogwarts letter. After all, the letters were usually delivered by now.

Once she got it, she proceeded to open it. Neptunia blinked. Lockhart? Who was this person? If the number of books was this long then it was definitely Lockhart who was their teacher. A lot of these books seemed unnecessary to Neptunia. Still, she shouldn't judge people based on their cover. Neptunia pursed her lips. Looks like she'll have to go shopping later. Soon, she'll be back at Hogwarts, her home with all of her friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tiny chapter yes, but it was either this or nothing lmao.


	22. The Flying Ford

On the day itself, Neptunia was ecstatic. FINALLY, the day had come! Although Neptunia had plans. No one had introduced her or Harry to the Wizarding world. Harry and honestly? Draco too had gotten into House prejudice. Maybe, she should visit the first years. In the train? That'll take too long and besides, they might not like a second-year barging in. Goodness knows that Ron didn't.   
  
Maybe before the sorting? Yeah. That'd be nice. She'd tell em to come to her for trouble too, that'd be good. Neptunia arrived at 10:30, she stood at the gate and looked around. She could spy a few students that looked confused. She smiled and tugged her bag higher. She walked over. And so it started, Neptunia thought. Soon, she was helping students through the barrier and telling them to not worry about it.

At a quarter to eleven, she saw the Weasley Family coming. Ginny would be starting this year, wouldn't she? She wondered when Harry would- What was Harry doing with the Weasleys? What? How? Th-that..uh, what? Neptunia's mind stuttered.

Didn't they...did they think of her? I mean, they knew...didn't they? She lived in an orphanage. She told Harry and Ron and Hermione and... Why did they forget her? Did they not want to be friends anymore? Neptunia shook her head to get rid of the thoughts and waved to them. Harry saw her first and waved back before nudging Ron who hadn't seen her yet who then also waved. No, a small summer can't change their friendship. She walked over to them, holding her bag tight. She greeted Mr and Mrs Weasley before turning to Ron and Harry.

"Hey...hey guys."

Ron smiled big and wide, "HI! What happened?! We didn't get any replies from you!"

Neptunia let out a strained smile, "I didn't get any letters."

Harry looked contemplative, "I think I know why, I'll tell you on the train okay?"

Neptunia smiled and turned to go through the barrier. After she walked through, she felt the last of her stress bleed away. She was almost home. She couldn't wait. She claimed the train to search for Hermione, whom she found sitting with Ginny. The three of them sat waiting for Ron and Harry.   
  
Soon enough, the train started moving. The three of them chatted about Hogwarts and reassured Ginny that no matter what house she was in, her family would love her and would not be disappointed. After a while, Neptunia grew concerned and decided to walk around to ask for Harry and Ron, Hermione decided to join her as well. They told Ginny to find her fellow first years and try making new friends. Hermione and Neptunia searched the length of the train to find the other half of their quartet but could not do so.  
  
Neptunia and Hermione sat in a compartment for the whole of the trip, their nerves fraying as they wonder where were Ron and Harry. They changed into their robes and Neptunia was careful enough to hide her many many scars. Soon they reached Hogwarts and Neptunia remembered what she had promised herself and rushed off with a promise to Hermione that she would explain later.  
  
She stood in front of the first years who looked nervous. She smiled warmly, "Hello Firsties! I'm Neptunia Black! Welcome to Hogwarts! Don't worry about The Sorting, it is quite an easy thing! As you know there are four houses. Don't believe any sort of stereotype people push onto those houses. Each is as wonderful as the other. Gryffindor is the house for the brave, daring and courageous. Hufflepuff is the house for the loyal, hardworking and just. Ravenclaw is the house for witty, creative and those who value intelligence. Slytherin is for those who are cunning, clever and ambitious. Gryffindors are not dumb, Hufflepuffs are not duffers, Ravenclaws are not snots and Slytherin is not evil. "

Neptunia took a pause and took in their expressions, they seem to be smiling, albeit a bit nervously, good. A few were rolling their eyes. Neptunia tilted her head a little, "I know it all seems a bit scary but don't you worry! Whatever house you go into will be like your home! Hogwarts is a great place and all of you will fit right in after a few days of adjustment! And if any of you all have any trouble just come to me! I'm usually in the library or near the lake! If I'm not there I'll be in the Gryffindor tower! Just ask the portrait for me!"

Neptunia looks behind the first years as the ghosts start their routine of forgiving Peeves. A few first years look at her and she just winks.

"Ms Black! What are you doing here!?"

Neptunia spins on her ankle, "Nothing Professor, just passing by. I heard one of the first years fell into the lake. I was hoping they're okay." Neptunia turned around, "Be careful okay Collin?"

Dumbstruck, the boy nodded. Neptunia smiled at the Professor and walked away. After she was seated at her table she talked to Hermione and told her what she did. Hermione nodded, though she was still lost in thought about Harry and Ron. Neptunia bit her lip, they didn't seem to be in sight.   
  
Soon, the feast and sorting were over and the boys weren't anywhere in sight! But they heard an awful lot of rumours about a flying car! Hermione and Neptunia shared a look. As they walked to the towers, they saw Harry and Ron standing in front of the portrait. Neptunia and Hermione rushed forward and the boys evaded them and entered the tower. Hermione huffed as Neptunia shook her head. Once she got inside however she noticed everyone praising the boys. Neptunia saw them leave and headed to bed as well.  
  
Neptunia looked towards Hermione, "Well, that was enlightening." 

Hermione smiled lightly, "Still, I don't understand why they didn't send Hedwig!" 

Neptunia laughed. "Yeah me too, Goodnight Mione!"

Hermione replied with a soft goodnight and both of them fell asleep with the warm feeling of a full belly comforting them.


	23. He said, She said, WHERE'S THE PROOF?

Neptunia sat next to Hermione on the Gryffindor table next morning enjoying her cereal as Hermione read one of Lockhart's book. She didn't really care much for that lying bastard. Sure, it was clearly detailed but if he was in Albania dealing with VAMPIRES how was he at Mumbai dealing with HAGS! One person can't be at two places at once! That along with the fact that the man was a vain idiot vying for fame made him stupid and a fake in Neptunia's eyes. Not to mention he has no proof he did those things. It's a he said, she said scenario. Where's the proof!?

When Harry and Ron came to have their breakfast, Hermione wasn't talking and was ignoring them. Neptunia was doing the same. Neville on the other hand was cheerfully wishing them a good morning.

"Mail's due any minute - I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot."

Harry had only just started his porridge when, sure enough, there was a rushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owls streamed in, circling the hall and dropping letters and packages into the chattering crowd. A big, lumpy package bounced off Neville's head and, a second later, something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers. Neptunia waved her wand and said the cleaning charm so the mess disappeared.

"Errol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet. Errol slumped, Unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp red envelope in his beak.

"Oh, no -" Ron gasped.

"It's all right, he's still alive," said Hermione, prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger.

"It's not that - it's that."

Ron was pointing at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary(except that it was red) to Neptunia and Harry, but Ron and Neville were both looking at it as though they expected it to explode.

"What's the matter?" said Harry.

"She's - she's sent me a Howler," said Ron faintly.

"You'd better open it, Ron," said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you Don't My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and" - he gulped -"it was horrible."

Harry looked from their petrified faces to the red envelope.

"What's a Howler?" he said. 

Neptunia grimaced as she understood, "Take a guess."

But Ron's whole attention was fixed on the letter, which had begun to smoke at the corners.

"Open it," Neville urged. "It'll all be over in a few minutes--"

Ron stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelope from Errol's beak, and slit it open. Neville stuffed his fingers in his ears. A split second later, Harry understood what Neptunia meant. He thought for a moment it had exploded; a roar of sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust from the ceiling.

"-STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE--"

Mrs. Weasleys yells, a hundred times louder than usual, made the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls. People throughout the hall were swiveling around to see who had received the Howler, and Ron sank so low in his chair that only his crimson forehead could be seen. Neptunia felt bad, while he didn't need to steal the car, he didn't deserve to be belittled and scolded in front of the whole school.

"-LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED--"

Harry looked like he had been wondering when his name was going to crop up. He tried very hard to look as though he couldn't hear the voice but was failing miserably. Poor guy looked so guilty.

"-ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED - YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."

A ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which had dropped from Ron's hand, burst into flames and curled into ashes. Harry and Ron sat stunned, as though a tidal wave had just passed over them. A few people laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk broke out again. Neptunia's grimace grew as Hermione opened her mouth, "Well, I don't know what you expected, Ron, but you--"

"Don't tell me I deserved it," snapped Ron.

Neptunia sighed, "Why didn't you think of sending Hedwig?"

Harry pushed his bowl away, looking like he was the epitome of guilt. I suppose they must have been overcome with panic, but she had no time to dwell on this; Professor McGonagall was moving along the Gryffindor table, handing out course schedules. Harry took his and Neptunia leaned over his shoulder and saw that they had double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs first. 

When she received her schedule, she thanked Professor McGonagall before looking at her own, after Herbology was Tranfiguration and then Defense Against the Dark Arts.

As they neared the greenhouses they saw the rest of the class standing outside, waiting for Professor Sprout. Neptunia, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had only just joined them when she came striding into view across the lawn, accompanied by Gilderoy Lockhart. Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages, and with another twinge of guilt, Harry spotted the Whomping Willow in the distance, several of its branches now in slings. Neptunia bumped his shoulder.

Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair; there was usually a large amount of earth on her clothes and her fingernails would have made Aunt Petunia faint. Gilderoy Lockhart, however, was immaculate in sweeping robes of turquoise, his golden hair shining under a perfectly positioned turquoise hat with gold trimming.

"Oh, hello there!" he called, beaming around at the assembled students. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels..."

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout, who was looking distinctly disgruntled, not at all her usual cheerful self.

There was a murmur of interest. They had only ever worked in greenhouse one before - greenhouse three housed far more interesting and dangerous plants. Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. Neptunia caught a whiff of damp earth and fertilizer mingling with the heavy perfume of some giant, umbrella-sized flowers dangling from the ceiling. Harry was about to follow Ron, Neptuina and Hermione inside when Lockhart's hand shot out.

"Harry! I've been wanting a word - you don't mind if he's a couple of minutes late, do you, Professor Sprout?"

Judging by Professor Sprout's scowl, she did mind, but before Lockhart could say anything Neptunia walked out and grabbed Harry's hand, "There you are Harry! You promised to be my partner! Come on!"

Harry let himself be pulled into the greenhouse by Neptunia. "Thanks." whispered Harry.

"Don't mention it, I'm surprised Proffessor Sprout hasn't kicked him out yet." replied Neptunia.

Harry and Neptunia chuckled as Professor Sprout walked in and stood behind a trestle bench in the center of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of different-colored ear muffs were lying on the bench. Once she made sure everyone was paying attention she said, "We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"

Neptunia's hand was raised slowly unlike Hermione whose hand shot up like a bullet. Neptunia made Neville raise his hand as well. Professor Sprout pointed at Hermione, "Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she had swallowed the textbook. "It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."

"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"

Neptunia's hand was still up and Hermione's hand nearly missed Harry's glasses as they shot up again. This time, however, Professor Sprout picked on Neptunia, "A mandrake's cry is fatal to those who hear it."

"Atta girl, take another ten points. Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still very young."

She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke, and everyone shuffled forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish-green in color, were growing there in rows. Neptunia itched to take a few leaves just to experiment with potions.

"Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout.

There was a scramble as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy. Neville and Neptunia shared an eye-roll and grabbed the closest ones.

"When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," said Professor Sprout. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs-up. Right - earmuffs on ."

Professor Sprout pulled out the Mandrakes and instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs.

Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, gave them all the thumbs-up, and removed her own earmuffs.

"As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet," she said calmly as though she'd just done nothing more exciting than water a begonia. "However, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up.

"Four to a tray - there is a large supply of pots here - compost in the sacks over there - and be careful of the Venemous Tentacula, it's teething."

She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant as she spoke, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder.

Neville and Neptunia headed to a table with Hannah Abott and Ernie Macmillian. There wasn't much talking besides them introducing themselves after which they put on their earmuffs. Professor Sprout had made it look extremely easy, but it wasn't. The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth, but didn't seem to want to go back into it either. They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists, and gnashed their teeth.

By the end of the class, Neptunia like everyone else was sweaty, aching, and covered in earth. She felt mud underneath her nails. Everyone traipsed back to the castle for a quick wash and then the Gryffindors hurried off to Transfiguration.

Neptunia had transfigured her beetle into a button but Ron was having far worse problems. He had patched up his wand with some borrowed Spellotape, but it seemed to be damaged beyond repair. It kept crackling and sparking at odd moments, and every time Ron tried to transfigure his beetle it engulfed him in thick gray smoke that smelled of rotten eggs. Unable to see what he was doing, Ron accidentally squashed his beetle with his elbow and had to ask for a new one. Professor McGonagall wasn't pleased.

As the bell rung and everyone rushed out, Neptunia approached Harry and Ron who were the only ones left in the class.

"Stupid - useless - thing--"

"Write home for another one," Harry suggested as the wand let off a volley of bangs like a firecracker. Neptunia nodded.

"Oh, yeah, and get another Howler back," said Ron, stuffing the now hissing wand into his bag. " It's your own fault your wand got snapped -'"

"Ron! It's more necessary to have a good wand! Besides it's only Charlie's old one! You need a wand that responds to you!"

They went down to lunch, where Ron's mood was not improved by Hermione's showing them the handful of perfect coat buttons she had produced in Transfiguration.

"What've we got this afternoon?" said Harry, hastily changing the subject.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione at once.

"Why , "demanded Ron, seizing her schedule, "have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?"

Hermione snatched the schedule back, blushing furiously. Neptunia stuck out her tongue in disgust. 

They finished lunch and went outside into the overcast courtyard. Hermione sat down on a stone step and buried her nose in Voyages with Vampires again. Harry, Neptunia and Ron stood talking about Quidditch for several minutes before Neptunia saw that their group was being closely watched. Looking up, she saw the very small, mousy-haired boy she's addressed in front of Professor McGonagall. He was clutching what looked like an ordinary Muggle camera, and the moment Harry looked at him, he went bright red.

"All right, Harry? I'm - I'm Colin Creevey," he said breathlessly, taking a tentative step forward. "I'm in Gryffindor, too. D'you think - would it be all right if - can I have a picture?" he said, raising the camera hopefully.

"A picture?" Harry repeated blankly. Neptunia snickered.

"So I can prove I've met you," said Colin Creevey eagerly, edging further forward. "I know all about you. Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead" (his eyes raked Harry's hairline) "and a boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right potion, the pictures'll move ." Colin drew a great shuddering breath of excitement and said, "It's amazing here, isn't it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad's a milkman, he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him. And it'd be really good if I had one of you" - he looked imploringly at Harry - "maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you? And then, could you sign it?"

"Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos , Potter?"

Loud and scathing, Draco Malfoy's voice echoed around the courtyard. He had stopped right behind Colin, flanked, as he always was at Hogwarts, by his large and thuggish cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. Neptunia sighed.

"Everyone line up!" Malfoy roared to the crowd. "Harry Potter's giving out signed photos!"

"No, I'm not," said Harry angrily, his fists clenching. "Shut up, Malfoy."

"You're just jealous," piped up Colin, whose entire body was about as thick as Crabbe's neck.

"Jealous?" said Malfoy, who didn't need to shout anymore: half the courtyard was listening in. "Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself." 

Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering stupidly. Neptunia shut them with a glare

"Eat slugs, Malfoy," said Ron angrily. Crabbe started rubbing his knuckles in a menacing way.

"Be careful, Weasley," sneered Malfoy. "You don't want to start any trouble or your Mommy'll have to come and take you away from school." He put on a shrill, piercing voice. " If you put another toe out of lin--"

A knot of Slytherin fifth-years nearby laughed loudly at this.

"Weasley would like a signed photo, Potter," smirked Malfoy. "It'd be worth more than his family's whole house--"

Ron whipped out his Spellotaped wand, but Hermione shut Voyages with Vampires with a snap and whispered, "Look out!"

It was Lockhart prancing towards them. "What's all this, what's all this?" His turquoise robes swirling behind him, "Who's giving out signed photos?"

Harry started to speak but he was cut short as Lockhart flung an arm around his shoulders and thundered jovially, "Shouldn't have asked! We meet again, Harry!"

Pinned to Lockhart's side and burning with humiliation, Harry saw Malfoy slide smirking back into the crowd.

"Come on then, Mr. Creevey," said Lockhart, beaming at Colin. "A double portrait, can't do better than that, and we'll both sign it for you."

Colin fumbled for his camera and took the picture as the bell rang behind them, signaling the start of afternoon classes.

"Off you go, move along there," Lockhart called to the crowd, and he set off back to the castle with Harry, who was wishing he knew a good Vanishing Spell, still clasped to his side.

"A word to the wise, Harry," said Lockhart paternally as they entered the building through a side door. "I covered up for you back there with young Creevey - if he was photographing me, too, your schoolmates won't think you're setting yourself up so much..."

Deaf to Harry's stammers, Lockhart swept him down a corridor lined with staring students and up a staircase.

"Let me just say that handing out signed pictures at this stage of your career isn't sensible - looks a tad bigheaded, Harry, to be frank. There may well come a time when, like me, you'll need to keep a stack handy wherever you go, but" - he gave a little chortle - "I don't think you're quite there yet."

They had reached Lockhart's classroom and he let Harry go at last. Harry yanked his robes straight and headed for a seat at the very back of the class, where he busied himself with piling all seven of Lockhart's books in front of him, so that he could avoid looking at the real thing.

Neptunia who had seen everything was fuming and sat beside Harry and did the same. She had no desire to learn anything from a CHEAT. The rest of the class came clattering in, and Ron and Hermione sat down on either side of them.

"You could've fried an egg on your face" said Ron. "You'd better hope Creevey doesn't meet Ginny, or they'll be starting a Harry Potter fan club."

"Shut up," snapped Harry. The last thing he needed was for Lockhart to hear the phrase "Harry Potter fan club"

"Puh-lease" scoffed Neptunia, "Lockhart is an idiot who can't see beyond the end of his stupid hair and robes." Neptunia knew that the man was all talk.

When the whole class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat loudly and silence fell. He reached forward, picked up Neville Longbottom's copy of Travels with Trolls , and held it up to show his own, winking portrait on the front.

"Me," he said, pointing at it and winking as well. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"

He waited for them to laugh; a few people smiled weakly.

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books - well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about - just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in--"

When he had handed out the test papers he returned to the front of the class and said, "You have thirty minutes - start - now!"

When Neptunia saw the test, her eyes bugged out. He can't be serious!?

1\. What is Gilderoy Lockhart s favorite color?

2\. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?

3\. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?

On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to:

54\. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?

This was nothing! NOTHING HELPFUL! Neptunia grabbed her quill and filled stupidly condescending answers. 

Favourite color? HIS EYES  
Ambition? TO BE THE MOST HANDSOME  
Greatest Achievement? TO GET ON THE FIRST PAGE OF PROPHET.

Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class.

"Tut, tut - hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac. I say so in Year with the Yeti . And a few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully - I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples - though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogdeds Old Firewhisky!"

He gave them another roguish wink. Ron was now staring at Lockhart with an expression of disbelief on his face; Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were sitting in front, were shaking with silent laughter. Hermione, on the other hand, was listening to Lockhart with rapt attention and gave a start when he mentioned her name.

"... but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions - good girl! In fact" - he flipped her paper over - "full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"

Hermione raised a trembling hand. Neptunia rolled her eyes.

"Excellent!" beamed Lockhart. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor! And so - to business--"

He bent down behind his desk and lifted a large, covered cage onto it.

"Now - be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm."

Harry and Neptunia glanced at each other in a vague emotion that Neptunia was sure conveyed, 'What the heck?' 

"I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them."

As the whole class held its breath, Lockhart whipped off the cover.

"Yes," he said dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies."

Seamus Finnigan couldn't control himself. He let out a snort of laughter that even Lockhart couldn't mistake for a scream of terror.

"Yes?" He smiled at Seamus.

"Well, they're not - they're not very - dangerous , are they?" Seamus choked.

"Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, waggling a finger annoyingly at Seamus. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!"

The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing. The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them.

"Right, then," Lockhart said loudly. "Let's see what you make of them!" And he opened the cage.

It was pandemonium. The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air. Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass. The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rampaging rhino. They grabbed ink bottles and sprayed the class with them, shredded books and papers, tore pictures from the walls, up-ended the wastebasket, grabbed bags and books and threw them out of the smashed window; within minutes, half the class was sheltering under desks and Neville was swinging from the iron chandelier in the ceiling.

"Come on now - round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted.

He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed, " Peskipiksi Pesternomi! "

Neptunia scoffed and muttered, "Utterly useless."

It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window, too. Lockhart gulped and dived under his own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a second later as the chandelier gave way.

The bell rang and there was a mad rush toward the exit. In the relative calm that followed, Lockhart straightened up, caught sight of Neptunia, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were almost at the door, and said, "Well, I'll ask you three to just nip the rest of them back into their cage." He swept past them and shut the door quickly behind him.

Neptunia's hair turned red and orange. "Can you believe him?" roared Ron as one of the remaining pixies bit him painfully on the ear.

"He just wants to give us some hands-on experience," said Hermione, immobilizing two pixies at once with a clever Freezing Charm and stuffing them back into their cage.

"Hands-on ? "said Harry, who was trying to grab a pixie dancing out of reach with its tongue out. "Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing--"

"Rubbish," said Hermione. "You've read his books - look at all those amazing things he's done--"

Neptunia glared at Hermione and used an immobulus on the nearest pixie.

"He says he's done," Ron muttered. Neptunia laughed and agreed with Ron, "He's a fake."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! How are you! Hope you had a good week! Here's another chapter!
> 
> Tell me how you like it! Vote, Comment and please Share!!
> 
> Laugh Loud and Be Proud.
> 
> Word Count: 4145 words.
> 
> OH WAIT, I almost forgot, I have started a discord server for all my fics! So, here it is:  
> https://discord.gg/qXAR3ry
> 
> Laterz~

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first ever fic.  
> Enjoy.  
> Here's a link to my Discord Server, Cosmic Aisle: https://discord.gg/qXAR3ry  
> Feel free to drop by and chat! I'll be lurking around so feel free to ask questions!!!


End file.
